GAZA, May 10 (KUNA) -- Israeli Minister of International Relations, Intelligence and Strategic Affairs Yuval Steinitz on Saturday denied vehemently a Newsweek report that Israel is involved in massive spying activities against the US.
"Someone is trying to cast aspersions on cooperation between Israel and the United States," Steinitz said in statements to Channel 10.
Steinitz affirmed that none of the US officials he met complained about possible Israeli spying operations in their country.
All those officials were satisfied with the close cooperation in the security and intelligence fields, he claimed, noting that he will refute the recent "groundless allegations" during his meeting with US Congress leaders on Tuesday.
Steinitz was commenting on an article, carried by the Newsweek on Thursday, that the Israeli espionage activities in the United States have "gone too far." The article cites senior US intelligence officials as revealing more details on Israel's "aggressive operations" against their country and how such reports were hushed up.
A former US intelligence operative claimed that an Israeli spy hid in the air duct in Al Gore's bathroom in 1998 to spy on the then-vice president, according to the article.
A US Secret Service agent who was using Al Gore's restroom heard a metallic sound coming from the vent above him "and then he sees a guy starting to exit the vent into the room. After the agent coughed, the guy went back into the vents," the article quoted the official as saying.
Such incidents were hushed up for one reason: the transgressor was Israel, the article claimed.
It added that several senior officials of US secret service and the Congress are unanimous that Israel is involved in serious espionage against US military, industrial and technical secrets for long decades and that none of the culprits was punished. (end) mzt.gb