Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share The United States has wiretapped the last three presidents of France, including current leader Francois Hollande as recently as 2012, according to WikiLeaks documents disclosed Tuesday. Wochit 
 
 From left, former French presidents Jacques Chirac, in 2006; Nicolas Sarkozy, in March 2012; and current French President Francois Hollande in May 2013. (Photo: Oliver Weiken/Julien Warnand/Jan Woitas, EPA) 
 
 PARIS — French President François Hollande on Wednesday branded allegations the United States spied on his nation's three most recent presidents as "unacceptable" behavior from a long-standing ally. 
 
 "France will not tolerate actions that threaten its security and the protection of its interests," he said in a statement. "Commitments were made by the U.S. authorities. They need to be recalled and strictly respected." 
 
 Top-secret intelligence documents disclosed by WikiLeaks on Tuesday revealed that the National Security Agency eavesdropped on Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac between 2006 and 2012, accumulating information on French positions on economic policy, United Nations appointments, the 2008 financial crisis and Middle East peace talks. 
 
 French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Wednesday the U.S. must now work to "repair" any damage done to U.S.-French relations. He called the revelations "a very serious violation of the spirit of trust" between the allies. 
 
 U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry in Paris for a meeting. Hollande also convened emergency meetings with security officials and lawmakers to discuss the allegations. The U.S. Embassy in Paris didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 
 
 The White House said President Obama spoke with Hollande on Wednesday morning. The White House statement on the call contained no hints of either apology or denial. Instead, Obama maintained that the United States has "abided by the commitment we made to our French counterparts in late 2013 that we are not targeting and will not target the communications of the French president," the White House said. That time frame comes after the events reported by WikiLeaks. 
 
 French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll told reporters that Hollande is sending France's top intelligence coordinator to the U.S. to ensure that promises made after NSA spying revelations in 2013 and 2014 have been adhered to. 
 
 National Security Council spokesman Ned Price declined to comment on the French reports, but added, "As a general matter, we do not conduct any foreign intelligence surveillance activities unless there is a specific and validated national security purpose. This applies to ordinary citizens and world leaders alike." 
 
 The surveillance intercepted by WikiLeaks did not appear to reveal state secrets but highlighted how the NSA's intensive program of worldwide electronic surveillance could cause a rift between the U.S. and an important ally. 
 
 "Considering the very close relationship we have with the U.S., considering the fact we are extremely loyal allies, I feel like trust has been broken," Claude Guéant, Sarkozy's former chief of staff, told French radio. 
 
 French newspaper Libération, which partnered with WikiLeaks on the release, reported sophisticated surveillance gear was installed at the U.S. Embassy in Paris to intercept communications between French officials. The equipment was hidden behind the trompe l'oeil windows on the top floor of the embassy, which is located around the corner from the presidential Elysee Palace. 
 
 More revelations are possible. On Twitter, WikiLeaks said it planned to release more documents giving "further evidence as to the U.S.' true goals in its mass espionage of France." 
 
 There is a precedent for WikiLeaks' revelations. Two years ago, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed the U.S. allegedly listened to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone calls. Earlier this month, Germany dropped its probe of the matter, saying it couldn't produce enough evidence to bring the case to court. 
 
 The latest release was timed ahead of Wednesday's passage of France's controversial legislation that allows intelligence agencies to tap phones and emails without judicial permission. Legislators introduced the bill after the January terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 17 people at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery. 
 
 Onyanga-Omara reported from London. Contributing: Gregory Korte in Washington. 
 
 U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley in March. (Photo: Xavier Leoty, AFP/Getty Images) 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1Ltrd7w ||||| PARIS (AP) — France summoned the U.S. ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and the French president held a high-level emergency meeting Wednesday following revelations by WikiLeaks that the U.S. National Security Agency had eavesdropped on the past three French presidents. 
 
 FILE - In this June 22, 2015, file photo, French President Francois Hollande speaks during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels. WikiLeaks published documents late Tuesday, June 23, 2015, that... (Associated Press) 
 
 President Francois Hollande called the U.S. spying an "unacceptable" security breach. 
 
 The documents appear to capture top French officials in Paris between 2006 and 2012 talking candidly about Greece's economy, relations with Germany, and American spying on allies. While there were no huge surprises, the release of the documents late Tuesday angered and embarrassed French officialdom. 
 
 U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry, according to government spokesman Stephane Le Foll. Hollande is also sending France's top intelligence coordinator to the United States shortly, to ensure that promises made after earlier NSA spying revelations in 2013 and 2014 have been kept, Le Foll said. 
 
 Calling the spying "incomprehensible," Le Foll told reporters "France does not listen in on its allies." 
 
 The U.S. Embassy had no immediate comment on the WikiLeaks revelations. 
 
 U.S. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price released a statement Tuesday evening saying the U.S. is "not targeting and will not target the communications of President Hollande." Price did not address claims that the U.S. had previously eavesdropped on Hollande or his predecessors, Nicolas Sarkozy or Jacques Chirac. 
 
 Hollande convened two emergency meetings Wednesday as a result of the disclosures: first with France's top security officials, then with leading legislators. 
 
 At a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, Le Foll said "we reminded all the ministers to be vigilant in their conversations." 
 
 Two of the cables — dealing with then-President Sarkozy and his predecessor, Jacques Chirac — were marked "USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL" suggesting that the material was meant to be shared with Britain, Canada and other members of the so-called "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance. 
 
 The disclosures, which emerged late Tuesday in French daily newspaper Liberation and investigative website Mediapart, mean that France has joined Germany on the list of U.S. allies targeted by the NSA. 
 
 "This involves unacceptable acts that have already given rise to discussions between the United States and France," Hollande said in a statement after an emergency defense council meeting. The statement said France has reinforced protective measures, without elaborating. 
 
 The release appeared to be timed to coincide with a vote in the French Parliament on a bill allowing broad new surveillance powers, in particular to counter terrorist threats. The Senate approved it Tuesday and the lower house of parliament is expected to give it final approval Wednesday. 
 
 There was no instant confirmation on the accuracy of the documents, which covered intercepts from 2006-12. WikiLeaks, however, has a track record of publishing intelligence and diplomatic material. 
 
 An aide to Sarkozy told The Associated Press that the former president considers these methods unacceptable. There was no immediate comment from Chirac. 
 
 France is among several U.S. allies that rely heavily on American spying powers when trying to prevent terrorist and other threats.
– Surprise: France isn't thrilled by claims that the US spied on its past three presidents, including current leader Francois Hollande, and has now summoned its US ambassador to the foreign ministry in Paris, reports the AP. Hollande, who calls the US spying an "unacceptable" security breach, held two emergency meetings today with legislators and top security officials. He later said France would "not tolerate anything that could jeopardize the security and protection of its interests," per USA Today, adding vaguely that France has now reinforced security measures. Describing the NSA spying as "incomprehensible," a government rep notes Hollande will now send a top intelligence coordinator stateside to confirm US assurances made after previous spying revelations are still valid. In the meantime, "we reminded all the ministers to be vigilant in their conversations," he says. A spokesman for the NSA said yesterday that the US is "not targeting and will not target the communications of President Hollande," but it didn't respond to claims about alleged earlier eavesdropping on Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Jacques Chirac.