CIA pauses spying in Western Europe

• It wants to examine whether spying on governments is worth the risk of being exposed
• Agency wants to evaluate its officers to see if they are competent enough: Sources

Washington: The Central Intelligence Agency has temporarily curbed its spying programs on some allies in Europe, according to an unnamed American official.

The pause in decades of espionage, which still remains in partial effect, was designed to give CIA officers time to assess whether spying on friendly governments is worth the risk of being exposed, said the source who has been briefed on the situation.

The source also claimed that the agency wants to evaluate its officers to see if they are competent enough. The stand-down order, now in effect for about two months, forbids agents in Europe from undertaking “unilateral operations,” such as meeting with sources they have recruited within allied governments, the Associated Press reported.

The officers are, however, allowed to meet with counterparts from the host countries and perform joint intelligence operations with them. James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, may have indirectly confirmed the news on Thursday during a public event. He said the US is taking more risk now because it has stopped gathering information on “specific targets.”

There is growing anger at the United States for spying on US citizens and ordinary citizens of other countries across the world.