Minister avoids quizzing US ambassador over latest spying allegations

Despite revelations regarding the spying activity of the United States on allied countries, including Spain, a meeting on Friday between Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo and the US ambassador to Spain, James Costos, was limited to diplomatic pleasantries.

The subject of reports that US intelligence agencies may have spied on politicians, community leaders and ordinary citizens in Spain over recent years did not come up.

Instead, the secretary of state for the EU, Iñigo Méndez de Vigo, will meet with the US ambassador to Spain on Monday to ask whether information published by EL PAÍS on US spying activity in Spain is true.

Ambassador James Costos said in an interview with EL PAÍS in September that “what has happened is something that others do as well,” without saying what that something is, or which countries are doing it.

Ambassador Costos: “What has happened is something that others do as well”

Spain has enjoyed close links with Washington since 2001, when former Prime Minister José María Aznar allied the country to George W. Bush’s war on terror. Cooperation went both ways: Spain agreed to host the CIA and NSA — both have offices in Madrid — and the US handed the CNI Spanish intelligence services its latest intercept equipment.

Spanish legislation does not allow the CNI to tap telephones without judicial authorization. “But the law only governs your own country; all spying activity overseas is by definition illegal,” said a former CNI chief. The NSA recently helped the CNI to trace the author of a suspicious call and both countries have cooperated in the fight against domestic and international terrorism. So why would the NSA access data from millions of cellphones in Spain, including the prime minister’s, as is alleged?

“Probably just because they can,” said a veteran diplomat. “They knew Rajoy would not react very strongly. He wouldn’t put bilateral relations and his longed-for visit to the White House at risk.”