Germany Seeks Pledge from US on Spying

Wants privacy guaranteed for citizens

Germany is seeking "credible and verifiable" commitments from the United States to guarantee the privacy of German citizens, according to a draft coalition document that reflects lingering resentment in Berlin over the U.S. response to spying allegations.

The paper, produced by a foreign affairs working group that has been negotiating a policy blueprint for a new German government, reaffirms Berlin's commitment to a free trade pact between the EU and United States, calling it a "vital project".

But it also makes clear that trust between the close post-war allies needs to be restored in the wake of revelations that the United States may have tapped the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.