The deputy chairman of the German parliament’s supervisory committee on Tuesday praised Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) response to recent reports that the National Security Agency has been spying on foreign leaders.
“It makes sense to have a faithful political exchange in order to clear up the current allegations and to restore trust in our U.S. friends and partners,” Michael Grosse-Bromer told the Wall Street Journal. “I very much welcome that the influential and authoritative U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee will now fully investigate the course of events related to the NSA.”
Grosse-Bromer added that he hopes to start a “dialogue” with Feinstein and the intelligence committee about U.S. foreign spying practices.
Fenstein said Monday that she is “totally opposed” to spying on foreign leaders, and she called for an investigation into U.S. foreign spying operations.
Grosse-Bromer’s positive response comes one day after Germany and other allies considered pulling U.S. access to a tool that helps the American government track bank transfers made by terrorist groups.
The U.S. is reportedly weighing an end to monitoring the phone conversations of allied foreign leaders, but a White House official earlier refuted the claim that the administration would cease the practice outright.
President Obama said he was unaware of the NSA’s practice of spying on foreign allies, and declined to comment further.
