Germany Summons British Envoy Over Spying Charges

Berlin, Nov 6, IRNA - Germanyˈs foreign ministry here Tuesday summoned British Ambassador Simon McDonald following media reports that London is operating a top-secret listening post from its embassy in Berlin, according to IRNA. A senior German official asked McDonald for an explanation of British news reports that Britain has operated high-tech monitoring devices on the roof of its embassy for years. A foreign ministry spokeswoman said the British envoy was told that ˈthe interception of communications from diplomatic missions would be considered contrary to international law.ˈ Unlike American Ambassador John B.Emerson, McDonald was not formally summoned over espionage claims. The British embassy has refused to comment on the spying allegations, saying as a general rule, it does not provide any information on its secret service activities. The claims that spy posts were positioned on the roof of the British embassy, which is located in Berlinˈs main government area district, came in the wake of recent revelations about US spying on German and European institutions, including allegations of wiretapping Chancellor Angela Merkelˈs cell phone./end