Photo Gallery Interior Minister Defends Intelligence Agencies
The UK's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. GCHQ has also been accused of widespread monitoring of phone calls and emails.
US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who was forced to admit that he failed to tell the US Senate the truth.
Minister Friedrich queried why news of British intelligence agents marching into the office of the Guardian, pictured here, to demand the destruction of data storage devices was not reported on sooner by the newspaper's editor in chief.
There have been fears that the accusations arising from the documents leaked by Edward Snowden have put a severe strain on some of the US's closest relationships. Here, US president Barack Obama and German chancellor Angela Merkel are pictured together in a file photo taken on June 19.
