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Spain Summons U.S. Envoy Over Spying Allegations


Spain has summoned the U.S. ambassador to Madrid over allegations of spying by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).

The Spanish Foreign Ministry said on October 28 that it sought explanations after the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" reported the NSA had intercepted some 60 million telephone calls in Spain in just one month.

The allegations were the latest to emerge from documents obtained by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Media reports earlier alleged the NSA had spied on millions of phone calls in France and had monitored the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"The Wall Street Journal" reported that U.S. officials had for the first time acknowledged that the NSA had tapped the phones of some 35 world leaders, confirming a "Guardian" story from last week.

It said the agency stopped spying on Merkel after President Barack Obama learned of the electronic surveillance in August.

The revelations of electronic eavesdropping are part of the continuing fallout from the leak of alleged classified U.S. documents by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who remains in Russia pending a decision on his request for asylum.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP

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