NSA: Canada 'Let US Spy On World Summits'

Canada allowed America's National Security Agency (NSA) to spy during the G8 and G20 summits in Ontario in 2010, according to reports.

The US allegedly turned its Ottawa embassy into a security command post during a six-day spying operation as President Barack Obama and other world leaders met that June.

The claim was made in a Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) report that cited documents from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

It is the latest potential embarrassment for the top-secret spy agency as a result of Snowden's leaks.

He has already revealed the NSA spied on close allies such as Germany and Brazil, sparking diplomatic spats with Washington.

The CBC report said America's spying operation was no secret to Canadian authorities. It said an NSA briefing note described the operation as "closely co-ordinated with the Canadian partner".

It did not reveal the precise targets of the NSA operation, but described part of the agency's mandate at the G20 summit in Toronto as "providing support to policymakers".

A spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper declined to comment on the report.

"We do not comment on operational matters related to national security. Our security organisations have independent oversight mechanisms to ensure that they fulfill their mandate in accordance with the law," he said.

A spokeswoman for Canada's equivalent of the NSA, the Communications Security Establishment Canada, said they could not comment on the operations of Canada or its allies

Source: Sky