In a shocking discovery, it has emerged that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has spied on French officials, using spyware and surveillance programmes to monitor diplomats in Washington and the UN. 
According to French newspaper Le Monde, who gained information from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, bugs were used in the French Embassy in Washington as part of a programme that received over £400 million of funding in 2011 alone.
This follows in the wake of allegations made that the NSA also spied on 70.3 million French phone calls in a 30 day period spanning December 2012 and January 2013. Those hacked included not only terrorist suspects, but prominent French politicians and business people.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said he was ÔÇ£shockedÔÇØ by the news, and has demanded that the issue be discussed in the upcoming summit meeting with fellow European Leaders. He explained that ÔÇ£clear answers, justifying the reasons these practices were usedÔÇØ were essential.
Laurent Fabius, FranceÔÇÖs Foreign Minister, also expressed his outrage, saying that ÔÇ£This sort of practice between partners that invades privacy is totally unacceptable and we have to make sure, very quickly, that this no longer happens.ÔÇØ As a result of these allegations, the American Ambassador was called to the French government on Monday, October 21st.
Following the release of these accusations, the White House has been forced to admit that ÔÇ£legitimate questionsÔÇØ have been raised about its intelligence agencies, with a need to balance the ÔÇ£security concerns of its citizens and allies with the privacy concerns that all people share.ÔÇØ This was confirmed in the phone call that took place between US President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Fran├ºois Hollande, where it was decided that the issue would be continued in diplomatic terms.
US Intelligence chief, James Clapper, said the Le Monde report contained ÔÇ£misleading information,ÔÇØ specifically taking offence with the allegation of spying on 70 million French phone calls in 30 days. He did admit however, that ÔÇ£the United States gathers intelligence of the type gathered by all nations.ÔÇØ
Anna Lewis
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