(VOVworld) – After days of silence, CIA chief John Brennan late on Tuesday phoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office to discuss the spying case, reported German news website Spiegel Online on Wednesday.

US-German alliance is challenged after several spying and surveillance scandals.

According to the website, CIA Director John Brennan has also briefed key members of the US Congress on the matter to limit political fallout between the US and Germany over the spying scandal. Neither side has commented on the phone conversation.
Earlier this month, German police arrested an intelligence officer suspected of working for the CIA. A preliminary investigation indicated that the officer traded more than 200 confidential documents for 25,000 euros. This has angered Germans who have taken strong steps to prevent another “double agent” scandal.
The US-Germany alliance was challenged earlier, when former US NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the NSA’s staggering surveillance of millions of civilians and world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Germans have become increasingly skeptical about their ties with the US. A June survey indicated that about 7 per cent of Germans say their trust in the US has decreased and 57 per cent favor less reliance on the US.