Germany asked the top US intelligence official at the Berlin embassy on Thursday to leave the country, a highly unusual step reflecting the deep anger within Angela Merkel's government at the discovery of two suspected US spies within a week.
Published : 10 Jul 2014, 11:21 PM
The scandal has plunged ties between Germany and one of its closest allies to a new low following last year's revelations from former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden about widespread surveillance of Germans, including Merkel.
"The request was made in light of the ongoing investigation by the chief federal prosecutor and questions that have been raised for months about the activities of US intelligence services in Germany," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said.
On Wednesday, Berlin said it had discovered a suspected US spy in the defence ministry.
That came just days after a German foreign intelligence worker was arrested on suspicion of being a CIA informant and admitted passing documents to a US contact.