Both the United States and German governments reported recently that the CIA station chief in Germany has left the country following the decision by officials in Berlin that he be expelled. A spokesperson for the United States embassy there reported that they are confirming that the station chief has in fact left the country and is no longer living or working there in any capacity.
Additionally, a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry provided confirmation as well that the individual had indeed left. A prominent German newspaper also cited several sources within the German and US governments who said that the chief boarded a commercial flight from Frankfurt, Germany headed for the United States.
The station chief was ordered to leave the country amid growing tensions between the two countries that many believe are the worst they have experienced since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003 – an initiative that Germany vehemently opposed.
The demand for the station chief to leave has prompted the announcement of the discovery of two supposed German double agents who were working for the United States. An employee of the defense ministry and a BND foreign intelligence agent are being investigated on suspicions that they supplied the United States government with government secrets.
According to reports, German Chancellor Merkel and US President Obama had a telephone conversation regarding the situation this week but the White House was relatively mum regarding what was said.
The only information given about the conversation was that there was an exchange of viewpoints about the cooperation between the two countries regarding intelligence matters and that both sides were committed to keeping the lines of communication open and searching for ways to work more closely with one another moving forward.