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IP: ISPI Clips 4.73: Europeans Bristle Over NSA's ECHELON-So Should You
From: "ama-gi ISPI" <[email protected]>
Subject: IP: ISPI Clips 4.73: Europeans Bristle Over NSA's ECHELON-So Should You
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 01:12:58 -0700
To: <[email protected]>
ISPI Clips 4.73: Europeans Bristle Over NSA's ECHELON-So Should You
News & Info from the Institute for the Study of Privacy Issues (ISPI)
Friday September 24, 1998
[email protected]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This From: The Baltimore Sun, September 19, 1998
http://www.sunspot.net
NSA listening practices called European `threat'
European Parliament report accuses agency of widespread spying
http://www.sunspot.net/cgi-bin/editorial/story.cgi?storyid=900000194001
By
Neal Thompson
Sun Staff
The National Security Agency has incurred the wrath of some U.S. allies and
triggered debate about increased global eavesdropping, thanks to a new
report that accuses the agency of spying on European citizens and
companies.
With the help of a listening post in the moors of northern England, NSA for
nearly a decade has been snatching Europe's electronic communications
signals, according to a report for the European Parliament.
"Within Europe, all e-mail, telephone and fax communications are routinely
intercepted by the United States National Security Agency, transferring all
target information to Fort Meade," said the report.
`Powerful threat'
It warned that the NSA's tactics represent a "powerful threat to civil
liberties in Europe" at a time when more communication -- and commerce --
is conducted electronically.
A preliminary version of the report circulated overseas in recent months,
touching off heated debate, with front-page stories in Italy, France,
Scotland, England, Belgium and even Russia.
The NSA won't discuss the report or even admit that the listening post
exists.
But this week, two days of debate in the European Parliament continued the
extraordinary public disclosure of comprehensive post-Cold War spying by
the agency. On Wednesday, the Parliament passed a resolution seeking more
accountability from such eavesdropping arrangements and more assurances
that they won't be misused.
"We want to make sure that somebody's watching them," said Glyn Ford, a
British member of the European Parliament, the legislative body for the
15-member European Union.
Observers say this was the first time a governmental body has described in
detail -- and then criticized -- the NSA's tactics.
"The cat's well and true out of the bag," said Simon Davies, director of
the London-based watchdog group Privacy International. "I would argue that
we have made the grandest step in 50 years toward accountability of such
national security transparencies."
The report describes a sophisticated program called Echelon, which the NSA
established in conjunction with British intelligence agencies. The program
includes a listening post in Menwith Hill, in Yorkshire, whose satellite
dishes soak up the satellite and microwave transmissions carrying Europe's
telephone conversations, faxes and e-mail.
Unlike Cold War spying aimed at the military, Echelon is a global
electronic surveillance system that targets individuals, businesses,
governments and organizations, the report says.
The U.S. shares the information with Britain, Canada, Australia and New
Zealand as part of an intelligence-sharing agreement called UKUSA. Each
nation has its own set of key words, so it can seek information on specific
issues, the report states.
Europe is but a fraction of Echelon's target area -- and the Menwith Hill
post is one of at least 10 around the world, the report adds.
"One reason its a bigger deal over there than it is over here [in the U.S.]
is because the SIGINT [signals intelligence] systems are over their heads
and not our heads," said Jeffrey Richelson, an analyst with the National
Security Archives, a U.S. group seeking to declassify intelligence related
documents.
Echelon repercussions
But the disclosure of Echelon could soon resonate across the Atlantic after
the European Parliament action. Furthermore, it could complicate current
negotiations between the U.S. and the European Union over encryption
programs that scramble or encode computer information, said Parliament
member Ford.
The U.S. has been lobbying for back-door access to such codes for security
reasons.
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