Germany’s spy agency ‘in bed’ with US – Snowden

Germany’s spy agency ‘in bed’ with US – Snowden on Berlin’s inhospitality

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden says he has more revelations about Washington's 

spying on German citizens, but Berlin is reluctant to invite him to testify because Germany

 has used the exact same surveillance methods as the US, Stern magazine reported.

The former NSA contractor – wanted by the US for disclosing its surveillance program 

– told the German magazine that he had been "personally involved with information 

stemming from Germany" and that the "constitutional rights of every citizen in Germany 

were infringed" during the process. 
Snowden said he had used systems able to intercept large amounts of data, adding:

 "I'd be surprised if German lawmakers learnt nothing new if I laid out all the information."

The rights activist suggested that the only reason Merkel’s government does not want him

 to testify is because Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, used the same

 methods of mass surveillance.

"The BND is with the Americans in bed," he told Stern.

So far it is unclear whether Snowden will be invited to Germany to provide new details

 for the investigation. Merkel’s government has rejected quizzing him in person, citing 

diplomatic reasons. The chancellor’s Christian Democratic Union party believes a persona

l invitation would put a strain on US-German relations. But despite the pressure from the 

government, the majority of German lawmakers on a committee investigating the spying

 decided earlier this month that they wanted to hear the leaker in person.

In response to the interview published in the German magazine on Tuesday, the chairman

 of the parliamentary committee, conservative lawmaker Patrick Sensburg, questioned

 Snowden’s competence in the matter.

“According to the information we have Edward Snowden was never especially involved

 with the mass spying of German citizens in Germany,” he said, as quoted by Reuters. 

"If he doesn't deliver proof in terms of original documents soon, he could lose all credibility

 with the committee."

Germany’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the second major political party after CDU,

 took a neutral stance, saying that it is open to questioning Snowden in Germany or Russia,

 while German opposition members involved in the investigation believe that Snowden is

 a key witness and should testify in person.

Since Snowden leaked sensitive US information last year, he has been charged with theft of 

government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and

 willful communication of classified intelligence to an unauthorized person.

http://rt.com/news/161824-germany-spy-us-snowden/