“This is a very serious matter that clearly undermines the trust in our communication with these nations – our allies and friends.” – said the Foreign Minister Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson in Alþingi, the Icelandic Parliament.
He referred to information provided by mbl.is and other media that the Danish Military Intelligence Agency (FE) was helping the US National Security Agency (NSA) spy on European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“The Danish government knew about the involvement of its country’s secret services in the NSA scandal as early as 2015” – reports dw.com.
“They began gathering information on FE’s collaboration with the NSA between 2012 and 2014 in a secret Dunhammer report, following the disclosure by former NSA employee and whistleblower Edward Snowden … It was clear from the information they gathered that FE was helping the NSA spy on top politicians in Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and France, as well as in Germany ”.
Guðlaugur said his ministry had requested Danish officials to disclose whether this espionage was also targeting Iceland, including Icelandic politicians, officials, institutions, companies and private individuals.
“Trust and confidence are essential in communication between allies. A case like this may undermine them “ – he said.
“Unfortunately, there are states that profit from undermining the trust and solidarity among allies in the West.” He added that he emphasized the importance of focusing on internet security and cyber defense, which he, as minister, places particular emphasis on.
Source: Yle
