BERLIN--Germany instructed a top U.S. intelligence official in
the U.S. Embassy in Berlin to leave the country, the German
government spokesman said Thursday.
"The representative of the U.S. intelligence agencies at the
Embassy of the United States of America has been instructed to
leave Germany," spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in a
statement.
Mr. Seibert said the move came amid ongoing espionage
investigations by the German federal prosecutor, as well as months
of controversy over the activities of U.S. intelligence agencies in
Germany.
"It remains essential for Germany to work closely and trustingly
with Western partners, especially with the United States, for the
safety of its citizens and forces abroad," Mr. Seibert said. "But
trust and openness is necessary for this from both sides."
The disclosures last year over National Security Agency
surveillance in Germany, including the monitoring of Chancellor
Angela Merkel's cellphone, stirred anger toward the U.S. in
Germany. Ties have been further strained over the past week as two
cases emerged of German government employees suspected of working
for foreign intelligence agencies.
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