German prosecutors announced Friday they have dropped their year-long investigation of the National Security Agency for allegedly spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone, citing a lack of evidence.
A U.S. lawmaker said the move reflected efforts to repair the breach caused by leaks in 2013 from fugitive former NSA employee Edward Snowden, who revealed the alleged spying activity.
Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-N.C., who has led efforts to rebuild trust in meetings with European lawmakers, told the Washington Examiner that increased understanding of congressional oversight of U.S. intelligence agencies, which is far stronger than that found in Europe, helped clear the air.
“Absolutely. I think there’s a mutual respect,” he said. “All Europe appreciates the importance of our intelligence capabilities.”
The German federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement that it had not found evidence that would stand up in court, either from the NSA or its accusers, including Snowden. The case has been an irritant in relations between the two countries, and a committee of Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, is still looking at the issue.
But deadly attacks by Islamist extremists this year in Paris and Copenhagen, along with news reports of extensive cooperation between Germany’s intelligence service and the NSA, have dimmed Berlin’s desire to press the issue.
Washington also has put the NSA on a tighter leash. On June 2, President Obama signed legislation imposing new restrictions on the agency’s collection of bulk telephone data on Americans.
