Obama Sends Top Aides To Germany Amid İntelligence Row

In a bid to ease strained German-American relations, U.S. President Barack Obama sent his chief of staff and assistant for counterterrorism and homeland security to Berlin to meet with senior German officials on Tuesday.



Obama's chief of staff, Denis McDonough, and Lisa Monaco, the counterterrorism assistant, met with Peter Altmaier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff and Gunter Heiss, the head of the German Federal Intelligence Service in what the White House calls "intensive talks on the state of bilateral relations and future cooperation."



The move follows recent intelligence disclosures that have incited uproar amongst German officials, and strained relations between the NATO allies.



Most recently, the CIA station chief in Berlin was asked to leave the country after allegations arose that two Germans had been spying for Washington.



Both intelligence and security matters were addressed during Tuesday's meetings, according to a readout issued by the White House.



McDonough and Altmaier agreed to establish a structured dialog to address concerns on both sides that will be overseen by the chiefs of staff.



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