Tuesday, December 29, 2015

US spied on Netanyahu’s anti Iran deal lobbying — report

The White House instructed US spies to eavesdrop on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials earlier this year in an effort to counter campaigning against the Iran nuclear deal, despite promising to curtail listening in on foreign leaders, according to a Wall Street Journal report late Tuesday.
The National Security Agency’s spying dragnet was cast so wide it caught conversations Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders had with US officials and Jewish American leaders, leading to what one source called an “oh shit moment,” when the extent became clear according to the report, which cites several current and former US officials. 
The White House and other administration officials refused to comment on the report to the New York-based publication. There was no immediate comment in Jerusalem on the report, which was released just before midnight Israel time.
Contacted by AFP, the White House did not deny the report, but stressed the importance of its ongoing close ties with Israel.

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