US apologises for claims GCHQ spied on Trump
CLAIMS that Britain’s spy agency helped Barack Obama to eavesdrop on Donald Trump prompted a formal apology from the White House yesterday.
Two top Trump officials called to apologise for saying the UK Government Communications Headquarters helped to wiretap Trump Tower, the President’s Manhattan residence.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer and Lieutenant General HR McMaster, the National Security Advisor, made personal apologies.
A spokesman for Theresa May said that the White House assured the Government that such allegations will not be repeated. He added: “We’ve made clear to the US administration that these claims are ridiculous.”
The extraordinary diplomatic row was over a press conference given by Mr Spicer in which he claimed GCHQ, based in Cheltenham, provided information to Mr Obama that enabled him to get the wiretap.
Mr Spicer was trying to explain why Mr Trump had made the claim at all even though he has provided no evidence to support it.
Mr Spicer said of the intelligence provided by Britain: “He’s [Obama] able to get it and there’s no American fingerprints on it. Three sources have informed Fox News that President
Merkel’s offer to shake hands is given the cold shoulder
DONALD Trump appeared to refuse to shake hands with Angela Merkel yesterday during a meeting in the Oval Office.
The German Chancellor asked the US President if he wanted to – as he had with other world leaders – but Mr Trump seemed to ignore her.
In the excruciatingly awkward moment, Mrs Merkel shrugged and made a face that seemed to say: “Oh well.”
Mrs Merkel’s visit was intended to smooth over Mr Trump’s past criticism of the Chancellor’s decision to allow refugees into Germany.
Later at a joint press conference, Mr Trump claimed both leaders had their phones tapped by Barack Obama.
He told Mrs Merkel: “This past administration, at least we have something in common perhaps.” Obama went outside the chain of command – he didn’t use the NSA, he didn’t use the CIA, he didn’t use the FBI and he didn’t use the Department of Justice – he used GCHQ.”
The report that Mr Spicer was referred to was by former judge Andrew Napolitano, who is now a TV pundit on US TV network Fox News.
But yesterday Mr Trump said: “We said nothing. All we did was quote a certain very talented legal mind who was the one responsible that on television.”
The claim earned a rare public rebuke from GCHQ which said it was “nonsense” and “utterly ridiculous”.
Lt Gen McMaster made his apology to Sir Mark Lyall Grant, the Prime Minister’s national security adviser.
Mr Spicer said sorry via Britain’s US ambassador Sir Kim Darroch
The PM’s spokesman said it would not be possible for GCHQ to spy on for saying Mr Trump as both countries are members of the Five Eyes alliance, an intelligence co-operation agreement which includes Australia, Canada and New Zealand. He said: “With the Five Eyes pact we cannot use each other’s capabilities to circumvent laws. It’s a situation that simply wouldn’t arise.”
A spokesman said that Mr Spicer’s comments were “unintentional”.