German Minister in Washington to Discuss Claims of US Spying

Posted: 6:16 pm, July 17, 2013 by Jeffrey Ely

German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU - l) and the chairman of the Interior Committee of the German Bundestag, Wolfgang Bosbach (CDU), chat on 17/07/2013 in Berlin before the special session of the Internal Affairs Committee of the Bundestag NSA. Frederick to report to the Board on the results of his meetings with government officials in Washington. Photo: Ole Spata / dpa

Photo: Ole Spata/dpa

Berlin (dpa) – German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich is holding talks with officials in Washington on Friday amid outrage over allegations of US surveillance of its European allies.

German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU) Photo: Ole Spata / dpa

Friedrich is to meet US Attorney General Eric Holder and Lisa Monaco, a security advisor to President Barack Obama. But there are doubts about what the talks will achieve, with analysts in Germany questioning whether the Americans will be

prepared to answer in any detail the claims that they spied on European diplomats.

Friedrich will not be meeting the heads of the US intelligence services. There is a general election in Germany in September, and the opposition is seeking to portray Chancellor Angela Merkel’s
government as having failed to respond decisively to the allegations.

Author: Andrew McCathie