FRANCE-WIKILEAKS/GOVERNMENT REACTION France sends intelligence coordinator to the U.S. over "unacceptable" spying

Record ID: 152078

  • Title: FRANCE-WIKILEAKS/GOVERNMENT REACTION France sends intelligence coordinator to the U.S. over "unacceptable" spying
  • Date: 24th June 2015
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 24, 2015) (AGENCY POOL) (SOUNDBITE) (French) GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, STEPHANE LE FOLL, SAYING: "So far, there has been some contacts at the Elysee level, yesterday night and in the evening, and that's all for now, there is no information to communicate about a contact."
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABGZIB039AC7HXVR5LD9UY61XL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE AUDIO AS INCOMING
    France on Wednesday (June 23) said it would send its intelligence coordinator to the U.S. to discuss WikiLeaks revelations that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) has spied on the last three French presidents.
    French President Francois Hollande held an emergency meeting of ministers and army commanders in the morning before a regular cabinet meeting. Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said a senior French intelligence official would be dispatched to the United States to confirm the spying is over.
    "I say that the intelligence coordinator is going back to the United States in a few days, that is to make sure that things that had been agreed, with commitments taken, are checked, respected and implemented, this is the line of conduct we will follow not without reminding that, between allied countries, this is unacceptable and above all goes beyond understanding, I would add, but it is unacceptable," he said.
    Later, Hollande held another meeting gathering government ministers, presidents of the two chambers of the parliament and members of the opposition.
    The documents issued by WikiLeaks and published in daily Liberation and website Mediapart infirm that the United States National Security Agency had wiretapped the last three French presidents and French officials.
    The French Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador to discuss the matter, a French diplomatic source said but the U.S. Embassy declined to comment.
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