The United States did not know where to stop in electronic spying and information provided by Washington in reply to Berlin's requests over activity of the U.S. National Security Agency was unsatisfactory, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in an interview with German weekly Spiegel made public on Sunday.
"If even one third that [former analyst of U.S. security services] Edward Snowden said and what is said with reference to him is true, my conclusion is that the Americans do not know where to stop," the German interior minister said.
Noting insufficient U.S. information about National Security Agency's activity in Germany the minister doubted that the situation would improve in the near future. "My expectations that further talks will be successful are little," he stated, noting that an anti-spying deal between Washington and Berlin would not be stricken after all.
Late in last March the interior minister has made a statement that was taken equivocally in Germany. He noted that members of the Bundestag committee formed to investigate a scandal over National Security Agency's spying should try not to spoil relations between Washington and Berlin.
For the period of the eavesdropping scandal German society and opposition politicians had criticised the country's government for reluctance to investigate all details of surveillance and to take a more criticising position towards Washington. Local observers have taken once again this appeal from the interior minister who had occupied the post of the defence minister until December 17, 2013, as the government's intention to round off rough corners on this issue as much as possible.
Late in last June weekly Spiegel on the strength of documents leaked by Edward Snowden reported about activity of U.S. National Security Agency. According to data made public, the agency has tapped up to 500 million phone calls and emails monthly in Germany. Meanwhile, the German government has obtained information about possible tapping of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone by the U.S. National Security Agency last October.