OSLO, Norway, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A document leaked by former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden shows Norway cooperated with the United States in spying aimed at Russia.
Norway's alleged espionage activities were reported by the Oslo newspaper Dagbladet, The Local.no reported Tuesday. The leaked document, a memorandum written by a U.S. National Security Agency officer April 17, summarized Norwegian cooperation with the United States, suggesting the espionage was aimed at both Russian nuclear weapons and its oil exploitation of the arctic. It cites "Russian targets in the Kola Peninsula" and "civilian targets ... especially Russian energy policy," Dagbladet said.
Northern Norway borders the Russian Kola Peninsula. Murmansk, the capital of the region, is Russia's most important arctic port and the Soviet Union's major nuclear weapons base.
The region continues to be an important Russian base as well as the center of off-shore oil drilling.
Lt. Gen. Kjell Grandhagen, who heads Norway's intelligence service or E-Service, said nothing described in the document is illegal under Norwegian law.
"The document Dagbladet has accessed is an internal NSA document E-service has not previously seen," he told the newspaper. "The document bears the mark of being drafted by an American officer and E-service will not necessarily stand behind all of the formulations used."
