Obama placates Germany over NSA [View all]

Source: Deutsche Welle

In a rare interview on German television, Obama on Saturday sought to mend ties with Germany frayed last year by media reports that the US had spied on European Union citizens and bugged the mobile phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"I don't need and I don't want to harm that relationship by a surveillance mechanism that somehow would impede the kind of communication and trust that we have," Obama told ZDF's main newscast, Heute-Journal.

"And so what I can say is: as long as I'm president of the United States, the chancellor of Germany will not have to worry about this," he added.

In a major speech on Friday, Obama had pledged that the NSA would not routinely spy on leaders of America's closest allies.

Read more: http://www.dw.de/obama-placates-germany-over-nsa/a-17372045

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The Local: Berlin welcomes Obama pledge on NSA spying

Spiegel: ZDF-Interview zu NSA-Spionage: Obama geht auf Wiedergutmachungskurs

ZDF summary of interview of the president with Axel Zimmermann, in German: Obama: Verhältnis nicht durch Überwachung beschädigen. Includes videos of interview in both German and English. For the English version click on "Video Interview (Originalfassung)"