The largest U.S. spy agency has acknowledged that it intercepted private communications of some 35 world leaders.
Officials say an internal review revealed the existence of the international spying operation in the National Security Agency, the Wall Street Journal reports.
It is the first public acknowledgment of intercepting telephone communication of world leaders by the U.S. Government.
European politicians have expressed outrage over revelations of U.S. surveillance on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s private mobile phone and mining of data in France.
The Spanish government summoned the U.S. ambassador on Monday to respond to allegations that the NSA intercepted more than 60 million calls in Spain.
The calls were intercepted in December and January, according to documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote in El Mundo newspaper.
Le Monde newspaper in France reported on Oct. 21 that the leaked documents showed the NSA scooped up 70.3 million recordings of French phone data over a 30-day period in December and January.
The NSA on Sunday denied German media reports that U.S. President Barack Obama was told in 2010 that Merkel’s mobile phone was being monitored.
German weekly Bild am Sonntag had reported that NSA chief General Keith Alexander had at the time notified Obama of the phone monitoring.
Germany summoned the U.S. ambassador last week after Der Spiegel magazine reported that Merkel’s private mobile was monitored from 2002.
Spiegel said the NSA has operated highly advanced electronic spying centres in 80 locations around the world, with 19 in Europe, including Berlin and other major capitals.
German and U.S. intelligence officials were expected to meet in coming weeks in Washington to discuss the allegations.
