Minister slams Pangalos over claims Greece spied on US ambassadors
The fallout from claims made by ex-Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos that Greece spied on US ambassadors in the past continued on Wednesday.
“The former foreign minister has no business saying these things,” said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, reflecting the government’s frustration with Pangalos.
Opposition party SYRIZA criticized the government for its silence on the reports that the US used its embassy in Athens to eavesdrop on Greek officials.
“Pangalos’s gift to the USA in the mega scandal involving wiretaps cannot hide the government’s ongoing and loud silence,” said SYRIZA MP Dimitris Papadimoulis via his Twitter account.
Publicly, the Greek government denied the claims made by Pangalos on Tuesday but privately there was frustration as officials felt he took the pressure off Washington to account for its eavesdropping of European leaders and reports concerning the use of the US Embassy in Athens.
Pangalos’s claim came in the wake of German news magazine Der Spiegel citing leaked information from CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden that indicated a joint Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Agency (NSA) group known as the Special Collection Service operated 90 surveillance facilities worldwide, including at the US Embassy in Athens.
The Athens facility, allegedly located on the roof of the US Embassy on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue, is reported as being among 14 that were operated remotely.
