James Clapper acknowledged "the US gathers
intelligence of the type gathered by all nations"
US intelligence chief James Clapper has denied
reports that the US collected data on French
citizens' phone calls.
The director of national intelligence said a claim carried
by Le Monde that US spies recorded data from 70
million phone calls in a month was false.
In a separate story, the newspaper said the US bugged
French diplomats and used the information to sway a
key UN vote.
Both reports were based on leaks from fugitive ex-US
intelligence worker Edward Snowden.
"Recent articles published in the French newspaper Le
Monde contain inaccurate and misleading information
regarding US foreign intelligence activities," Mr Clapper
said in a statement released on Tuesday.
"The allegation that the National Security Agency
collected more than 70 million 'recordings of French
citizens' telephone data' is false."
Mr Clapper said he would not discuss details of
surveillance activities, but acknowledged "the United
States gathers intelligence of the type gathered by all
nations".
Iran sanctions
His statement did not mention the second set of
allegations about the National Security Agency (NSA)
programmes that allegedly monitored French diplomats
in Washington and at the UN.
The paper laid out how US spies used spyware and
phone-tapping techniques to monitor French diplomats
at the UN and in Washington.
Those claims were first carried in the German magazine
Der Spiegel and the Washington Post in early
September.
But Le Monde's story gives details of how the
intelligence gathered from French diplomats was used.
It quotes a document issued by a directorate of the NSA
as stating that the data helped the US sway a Security
Council vote on a resolution imposing new sanctions on
Iran on 9 June 2010.
The US had apparently feared losing the vote, and
needed French support.
The document quotes America's former UN envoy
Susan Rice as saying the NSA's information helped the
US "keep one step ahead in the negotiations".
On Monday, Le Monde alleged that the NSA spied on
70.3 million phone calls in France between 10
December 2012 and 8 January 2013.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he had
asked for a full explanation of those claims from US
Secretary of State John Kerry.
'Unacceptable'
Mr Fabius told reporters he had reiterated the view of
France that "this kind of spying conducted on a large
scale by the Americans on its allies is something that is
unacceptable".
However, French officials played down the possibility of
any reprisals.
Government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem
said: "We have to have a respectful relationship
between partners, between allies. Our confidence in
that has been hit but it is after all a very close,
individual relationship that we have."
She was speaking before Le Monde's allegations about
the UN vote were published.
Information leaked by former NSA worker Edward
Snowden has led to claims of systematic spying by the
NSA and CIA on a global scale.
Targets included rivals like China and Russia, as well as
allies like the EU and Brazil.
The NSA was also forced to admit it had captured email
and phone data from millions of Americans.
Mr Snowden, who went public with his allegations in
June, is currently in Russia, where he was granted a
year-long visa after making an asylum application.
The US wants him extradited to face trial on criminal
charges.
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