It was unacceptable for allied nations to spy on each other, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel (photo:bbc)

(VOVworld) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended Germany's BND intelligence agency Monday against accusations it illegally helped the US National Security Agency (NSA) spy on officials and firms in Europe. In her first public comments on a scandal that has gripped Germany recently, Merkel said it was unacceptable for allied nations to spy on each other. But she strongly backed BND cooperation with the US NSA in fighting terrorism. Merkel denied the possibility of cooperation between BND and NSA to spy on allies.