Norwegian officials reacted strongly Thursday to reports that the United States secretly commissioned surveillance of hundreds of Norwegian nationals believed to pose a threat to US interests such as the embassy in Oslo, DPA reported.
The surveillance was mainly conducted by former Norwegian security police officers and operated until recently out of an Oslo apartment near the US embassy. The group gathered information, took photographs of people at protests and entered the names into a special database, TV2 news reported.
The Surveillance Detection Unit comprised 15-20 people that worked round the clock. It was set up 2000, the report said.
"This was something I had no knowledge about," Justice Minister Knut Storberget said.
Storberget said he has asked for information from the security police and the national police authority.
Bjorn Erik Thon, head of the independent Data Inspectorate said the surveillance violated Norwegian legislation and rule of law since suspects have a right to know of suspicions against them.
Erna Solberg, leader of the opposition conservatives, said it was necessary to look into the allegations but "regardless the Americans should have trusted an ally and its police and surveillance work."