Report: CIA given ‘stand down’ order in Europe

The Central Intelligence Agency has largely curtailed its spying operations in Europe for the last two months, according to a new report on Friday.

The Associated Press, citing current and former U.S. officials, reported that the spy agency had effectively paused much of its work by issuing a “stand down” order, limiting operatives from holding secret meeting with sources.

{mosads}During the operational lull, U.S. agents are still allowed to meet with foreign countries’ spy offices and work with the host government, but cannot meet with sources who have been handing them information on the sly — one of the central components of spycraft. The report said officials were taking the opportunity to review their operations and security protocols.

According to the AP, the limitations apply to the CIA’s Western European division, which also covers Canada and Turkey.

The CIA declined to comment on the accuracy of the AP report to The Hill. 

The change in operations comes after a row with Germany over CIA spying in July. During the standoff, a German intelligence official was found to be passing hundreds of documents to the agency, prompting the CIA station chief to leave the country. German officials searched the home of a second defense official suspected of slipping additional secrets to Washington, but no charges were filed in that case.

That incident inflamed tensions between the U.S. and Germany, which were already high following revelations that the National Security Agency (NSA) had been secretly listening to the phone calls of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

After the fallout from that news, revealed by NSA leaked Edward Snowden, President Obama announced a change in policy so that the U.S. would not spy on friendly foreign leaders.