Germany Prepared To Speak With Snowden in Exchange For Details on NSA Snooping

Says Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's top security official said Friday he will try and find a way for Edward Snowden to speak to German officials if the former National Security Agency contractor is willing to provide details about the NSA's activities including the alleged surveillance of Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone.

The comments by Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich came after a German opposition lawmaker traveled to Moscow and met NSA leaker Snowden. The lawmaker, Hans-Christian Stroebele, returned to Berlin with a letter he said Snowden had written, which he released Friday.

In the letter Snowden, who faces espionage charges in the U.S., indicated that he will not speak with German officials until the United States stops its prosecution of leakers like him.