Australia's electronic espionage agency sought the help of American spies to monitor the communications of Australian citizens suspected of terrorist connections, according to a new book by American journalist Glenn Greenwald.

Drawing on documents provided by former United States intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, Mr Greenwald has revealed that in 2011 the top secret Australian Signals Directorate "explicitly pleaded" with the US National Security agency to "extend" their intelligence partnership and subject Australian citizens to greater surveillance.

Journalist Glenn Greenwald's new book No Place to Hide reveals more about Australia and its spying relationship with the US. Credit:AP

The newly released documents also show that the Australian Signals Directorate and the National Security Agency worked together to collect intelligence resulting in the arrest of one of the terrorists responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings.

In a February 2011 letter reported in Mr Greenwald's newly published book, No Place to Hide, the acting director of the Australian Signals Directorate, then known as the Defence Signals Directorate, wrote to the National Security Agency seeking assistance to targeting the communications of "home grown" terrorists "active both abroad and within Australia".