A German newspaper reported Sunday that the National Security Agency has ramped up its surveillance of German officials since President Barack Obama ordered the agency to stop monitoring Chancellor Angela Merkel’s communications, according to Reuters.
Bild am Sonntag reported that the agency was monitoring 320 politicians and business leaders, citing an anonymous, high-ranking NSA employee in Germany who said the officials being monitored include the interior minister, who is close to Merkel.
“We have had the order not to miss out on any information now that we are no longer able to monitor the chancellor’s communication directly,” the newspaper quoted the employee as saying, according to Reuters.
Merkel voiced her anger with what she called the Obama administration’s breach of trust last fall when news broke that the NSA was spying on foreign leaders and monitoring her cell phone.
