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                     Merkel Speaks on Alleged Double Agent

   by VOA News

   Germany's leader says reports that a German intelligence employee spied
   for the United States are "serious."

   Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking at a news conference on a visit to
   Beijing, said Monday if the allegations are proven true, it would be a
   "clear contradiction" of trust between the allies.

   The comments marked the chancellor's first public remarks on the arrest
   last week of the 31-year-old man suspected of being a double agent.

   Washington has not made a statement about the arrest.

   The case risks further straining ties between the two world powers,
   following the revelations last year of wide-spread spying on Germany by
   the U.S. National Security Agency, including the alleged monitoring of
   Merkel's cell phone.

   Surveillance is a sensitive issue in Germany, where memories of the
   Nazi's Gestapo secret police and communist East Germany's Stasi ensure
   the right to privacy is treasured.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/merkel-speaks-on-alleged-double-agent
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/merkel-speaks-on-alleged-double-agent/1952060.html