UN voices ‘concern’ at reports of US spying on UN chief
- UN chief’s spokesman responded to media report about US surveillance in wake of leak of highly classified documents
- White House official attempted to play down contents of documents, calling them ‘incomplete snapshots in time’
The United Nations has formally expressed its “concern” to the United States after press reports revealed surveillance of Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ communications, his spokesman said, denouncing actions “inconsistent with (US) obligations”.
“The UN officially expressed … its concern regarding recent reports that the communications of the Secretary General and other senior UN officials have been the subject of surveillance and interference by the US government,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Such actions, Dujarric said, “are inconsistent with the (US) obligations … enumerated in the UN charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations”.
The United States has intercepted at least four of Guterres’ conversations with other UN officials, including on Ukraine, according to The Washington Post, citing confidential Pentagon documents.
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FBI arrests 21-year-old US National Guardsman over leak of documents revealing Ukraine secrets
US prosecutors last week lodged charges against a 21-year-old airman for allegedly leaking hundreds of secret US documents on the war in Ukraine as well as intelligence assessments on other parts of the world.
Despite the embarrassing leak of documents that revealed ways in which the US intelligence community spies on partners and foes, a national security official said Washington believes the disclosures have not done major damage.
“Thus far, this regrettable exposure of classified material has not resulted in a breach of trust or confidence between our partners or in our shared efforts to advance their goals around the world,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Monday.
Washington’s allies have “appreciated the seriousness with which we’re taking this issue,” Kirby said.
The trove of classified Pentagon documents have been circulating on the internet for weeks after being posted in a chat group on the Discord app.
Kirby again urged the media to exercise “caution” in their reporting on the documents, which he played down as “incomplete snapshots in time”.
“Of course, we stress that none of this material belongs in the public domain, none of it.”
Agence France-Presse and dpa
