German Parliament Set To Discuss US Spying On Merkel

Berlin, Oct 29, IRNA -- The German parliament is set to discuss next month the latest media relevations that US spies had eavesdropped on the cell phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel, the weekly Der Spiegel reported here Monday. German lawmakers are to convene in a special session on November 18 to deliberate on the large-scale US espionage activities in Berlins government district. Legislators of the five-party German parliament are also expected to decide on the creation of an investigative committee focusing on the US spying charges. Revelations that Merkels mobile phone was being tracked by the NSA have sparked a huge uproar in Germany, and prompted the government to summon the US ambassador. A high-ranking German delegation was soon to travel to Washington to meet with their US counterparts, government spokesman Steffen Seibert told journalists here earlier in the day. Seibert claimed the government had no new information on allegations of wiretapping by American intelligence services. We are in the process of clarifying this serious case, he said, adding that Germany and the US can solve these problems together. Seibert also declined to say what questions had not been answered by the US authorities following a similar trip to Washington in June, after initial revelations of US spying activities on citizens in Germany. We are following up every lead, Seibert said when asked to comment on reports that the American Embassy in Berlin had been at the center of the spying operation. US spying agencies have reportedly been monitoring Merkel's cell phone since 2002. According to Der Spiegel, Merkel's mobile phone number appeared under GE Chancellor Merkel on documents of the NSAs Special Collection Service. It said the Special Collection Service was operating a not legally registered espionage branch at the US embassy in Berlin, where highly advanced equipment was being used to spy on the German government./end