Japan to protest if US spying confirmed

Japan would protest against the U.S. government if the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) did spy on the Japanese government as the Wikileaks website revealed, local media reported Saturday.

The Wikileaks website on Friday posted NSA reports and list of 35 Japanese targets for telephone intercepts including the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Bank of Japan, the country's finance and trade ministries and major Japanese trading companies.

According to the website, the eavesdropping dated back at least to the time of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's first government launched in 2006, and one report from intercepts of senior Japanese government officials could have been shared with Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand, the four U.S. intelligence partners.

Regarding this, a Japanese government source who requested anonymity said, "If this is true, it is extremely regrettable. We need to lodge a protest. But the Japanese government first must verify it."

The Japanese government could not be reached for comment so far.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said the U. S. government has not received any formal or informal protests from Japan.

"We do not think Japan will take this as a problem," said Toner.

Julian Assange, WikiLeaks editor in chief, said on the website, "The lesson for Japan is this: do not expect a global surveillance superpower to act with honor or respect."