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Monday, October 21, 2013

Hollande tells Obama of 'deep disapproval' of US spying on French citizens -Full Update





French President Francois Hollande condemned US spying on French citizens in a call with President Barack Obama on Monday, as a row escalated over US eavesdropping on millions of French phone calls. Hollande's office said in a statement that he had expressed "deep disapproval of these practices, which are unacceptable between friends and allies because they infringe on the privacy of French citizens."

Hollande "asked that all explanations be provided, as well as all information that could be at the disposal of former NSA consultant Edward Snowden."
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The statement said the two leaders had agreed "to work together to determine the facts and the exact scope of surveillance activities" revealed by French newspaper Le Monde.
The two stressed that surveillance operations should be put into a "bilateral framework" and agreed that US and French intelligence agencies would "work together to this effect," the statement said.

France to summon US ambassador 'immediately' over spy claims - minister
France's foreign minister announced Monday the "immediate" summoning of the US ambassador over a report that American spies eavesdropped on millions of calls made by French citizens.
"I have immediately summoned the US ambassador," Laurent Fabius told reporters as he arrived for an EU foreign ministers meeting, adding a meeting would take place "this morning" at the ministry in Paris.
"In light of the information from Le Monde I immediately summoned the US ambassador, who will be received this morning at the Quai d'Orsay (the address of the foreign ministry in Paris)," Fabius said on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg.
"This type of practice between partners, which violates privacy, is totally unacceptable and we must ensure very quick that it is not still continuing," Fabius said.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls also labelled the revelations "shocking" and "completely unacceptable" on the part of an ally.

France is demanding explanations after a report that the US National Security Agency secretly recorded millions of phone calls made in the country, its interior minister said Monday.
Manuel Valls described the revelations in Le Monde newspaper as "shocking", in an interview with French radio Europe 1.

US spy agency snooped on French citizens - report
The US National Security Agency secretly recorded millions of phone calls made in France, daily Le Monde reported on Monday, citing documents from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.
The spy agency taped 70.3 million phone calls in France over a 30-day period between December 10 and January 8, 2013, Le Monde reported in its online version.
According to the paper, the NSA automatically picked up communications from certain phone numbers in France and recorded text messages under a programme code-named "US-985D."
Le Monde said the documents gave grounds to think the NSA targeted not only people suspected of being involved in terrorism but also high-profile individuals from the world of business or politics.
US authorities declined comment to the French daily on the "classified" documents.
The Le Monde article followed similar revelations by German weekly Der Spiegel that US agents had hacked into the email account of former Mexican president Felipe Calderon.
Mexican authorities have said they will be seeking answers from US officials "as soon as possible" following the allegations.
Snowden, who has taken refuge in Russia, is wanted in the United States for espionage and other charges after leaking details of the NSA's worldwide snooping activities.

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