“America spied on European leaders with the help of the Danish secret service”

It sounds like an exciting thriller, but the European leaders of Germany, France, Norway and Sweden have been bugged by the US intelligence agency NSA (National Security Agency). This reports the Danish public broadcaster DR, who managed to get hold of an unpublished internal Danish intelligence investigation.

Internet cable network

The NSA used the European Internet cable network, major nodes of which are located in Denmark. These cables come and go from Germany, Sweden, Norway, the UK and the Netherlands, among others.

Through these cables, intelligence services could view text messages, telephone conversations, and Internet usage, such as search history. From 2012 to 2014 at least, Denmark and the United States are said to have operated this network.

Snowden Whistleblower

In 2013, whistleblower Edward Snowden also revealed that Angela Merkel was being wiretapped by the NSA. He released a series of documents showing that the NSA is eavesdropping on communications around the world. He was not thanked for it, the American Public Prosecution Service (OM) tried to convict him for disclosing state secrets.

Intelligence chief suspended

The investigation that the Danish public broadcaster saw shows that the Danish intelligence services actively contributed to the espionage. The NSA and Danish intelligence services have yet to respond to the allegations.

However, the head of the Danish intelligence services had already been suspended last summer, along with three other employees, due to “serious abuses”. These abuses were concluded by an independent investigation. In response, the Danish government has launched an investigation which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.