Operation Dunhammer (Danish for Operation Typha) was an internal investigation[lower-alpha 1] conducted by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (Danish: Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste, FE) which concluded the agency cooperated with the American National Security Agency to wiretap senior politicians, government officials, and government entities of certain European Union countries.[1][2]

Report

Due to concerns following Edward Snowden's leaking of the NSA's global surveillance operations, the Danish Defence Intelligence Service began the investigation the following year.[3] The investigation ended in 2015, concluding that the NSA collaborated with the FE to eavesdrop on prominent politicians from 2012 to 2014, among them German chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the opposition Peer Steinbrück, and foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.[4] This was done through the use of the NSA's XKeyscore computer system, which probed data travelling through underwater internet cables in intercept stations such as Sandagergård, similar to the ECHELON program.[5][6][7]

Information about the report was released publicly by a consortium involving DR, Sveriges Television, NRK, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Le Monde on 30 May 2021, following an investigation by the aforementioned organisations.[8][4]

Aftermath

Dunhammer's findings were privately released in 2015, but led to no immediate repercussions among the FE, with collaborations between the FE and NSA continuing as normal.[9][10] In August 2020, Trine Bramsen who was recently appointed Danish minister of defence in June of the previous year was told of the operation, following which agency head Lars Findsen and three other officials were suspended.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Associated Press first erroneously reported 'Operation Dunhammer' as the name of the espionage operation rather than the investigation.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Olsen, Jan (31 May 2021). "Question for Denmark: Why could the US allegedly eavesdrop?". Associated Press News. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. ↑ Berry, Alex (30 May 2021). "Danish secret service helped US spy on Germany's Angela Merkel: report". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "U.S. spied on Merkel and other Europeans through Danish cables - broadcaster DR". Reuters. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 Fastrup, Niels; Quass, Lisbeth (30 May 2021). "Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste lod USA spionere mod Angela Merkel, franske, norske og svenske toppolitikere gennem danske internetkabler" [The Defense Intelligence Service let the United States spy on Angela Merkel, French, Norwegian and Swedish top politicians through Danish internet cables]. DR (in Danish). Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. ↑ Guiton, Amaelle (31 May 2021). "La NSA espionnait aussi Angela Merkel depuis le Danemark" [The NSA spied on Angela Merkel from Denmark]. Libération (in French). Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Macron and Merkel demand explanations over US-Denmark spy claim". Euronews. Associated Press. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 Kabisch, Volkmar; Kempmann, Antonius; Mascolo, Georg; Pinkert, Reiko (30 May 2021). "Wenn Partner Partner abhören" [When partners wiretap partners]. tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "US reportedly spied on Germany and European allies with help from Denmark". TRT World. Agence France-Presse. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "US spied on Merkel, EU officials through Danish cables: Report". Al Jazeera. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "NSA spying row: US and Denmark pressed over allegations". BBC News. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
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