Re: NSA/UKUSA Echelon: Exposing the Global Surveillance System

[Bill Frantz <frantz@netcom.com>]

At 2:58 PM -0800 12/13/96, John Gilmore wrote:
>I don't know the truth of this, but I'm sure it will make
>interesting reading.					-- John
>
>...
>********Hager's book "secret Power"
>       is available from CAQ for $33.*******
>http://mediafilter.org/caq
>http://www.worldmedia.com/caq



Most of the information in the article is also in "Secret Power".  A couple
of items I saw that were not mentioned:

* Most major government communication is encrypted.  New Zealand is still
able to get early warning of things like French nuclear tests via traffic
analysis.

* Singapore was part of the listening network until there was too much
publicity.  (They may again be hosting a listening post.)

* There was a listening post in Hong Kong which has been decommissioned
because of the lease expiration.  (Too bad the Brits didn't get an option
to renew :-).)


J random thoughts:

* Pooling of resources in this manner lets the taxpayer's money go further.

* NSA etc. could solve the problem of which companies to give their
commercial intelligence to by selling it to the highest bidder.  These
sales could possibly replace their current off-books funding kludge.

* As more is learned of the listening network, there is less incentive to
keep it secret, and more incentive to publicly use the intercepts.  This
incentive for secrecy has probably protected many individuals in the past.


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