IP: BBC Online 2/10/99: "Global spy network revealed"

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 16:03:52 +0000
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
>
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/newsid_503000/503224.stm
> Global spy network revealed
>
> Listening in to your phone calls and reading your emails
>
> By Andrew Bomford of BBC Radio 4's PM programme
> Imagine a global spying network that can eavesdrop on every single phone
> call, fax or e-mail, anywhere on the planet.
>
> It sounds like science fiction, but it's true.
>
> Two of the chief protagonists - Britain and America - officially deny its
> existence. But the BBC has confirmation from the Australian Government that
> such a network really does exist and politicians on both sides of the
> Atlantic are calling for an inquiry.
>
> On the North Yorkshire moors above Harrogate they can be seen for miles, but
> still they are shrouded in secrecy. Around 30 giant golf balls, known as
> radomes, rise from the US military base at Menwith Hill.
>
> Linked to the NSA
>
> Inside is the world's most sophisticated eavesdropping technology, capable
> of listening-in to satellites high above the earth.
>
> Facility is said to be capable of 2m intercepts per hour
> The base is linked directly to the headquarters of the US National Security
> Agency (NSA) at Fort Mead in Maryland, and it is also linked to a series of
> other listening posts scattered across the world, like Britain's own GCHQ.
>
> The power of the network, codenamed Echelon, is astounding.
>
> Every international telephone call, fax, e-mail, or radio transmission can
> be listened to by powerful computers capable of voice recognition. They home
> in on a long list of key words, or patterns of messages. They are looking
> for evidence of international crime, like terrorism.
>
> Open Oz
>
> The network is so secret that the British and American Governments refuse to
> admit that Echelon even exists. But another ally, Australia, has decided not
> to be so coy.
>
> The man who oversees Australia's security services, Inspector General of
> Intelligence and Security Bill Blick, has confirmed to the BBC that their
> Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) does form part of the network.
>
> "As you would expect there are a large amount of radio communications
> floating around in the atmosphere, and agencies such as DSD collect those
> communications in the interests of their national security", he said.
>
> Asked if they are then passed on to countries like Britain and America, he
> said: "They might be in certain circumstances."
>
> But the system is so widespread all sorts of private communications, often
> of a sensitive commercial nature, are hoovered up and analysed.
>
> Journalist Duncan Campbell has spent much of his life investigating Echelon.
> In a report commissioned by the European Parliament he produced evidence
> that the NSA snooped on phone calls from a French firm bidding for a
> contract in Brazil. They passed the information on to an American
> competitor, which won the contract.
>
> "There's no safeguards, no remedies, " he said, "There's nowhere you can go
> to say that they've been snooping on your international communications. Its
> a totally lawless world."
>
> Breaking the silence
>
> Both Britain and America deny allegations like this, though they refuse to
> comment further. But one former US army intelligence officer has broken the
> code of silence.
>
> Colonel Dan Smith told the BBC that while this is feasible, it is not
> official policy: "Technically they can scoop all this information up, sort
> through it, and find what it is that might be asked for," he said. "But
> there is no policy to do this specifically in response to a particular
> company's interests."
>
> Legislators on both sides of the Atlantic are beginning to sit up and take
> notice. Republican Congressman Bob Barr has persuaded congress to open
> hearings into these and other allegations.
>
> In December he is coming to Britain to raise awareness of the issue. In an
> interview with the BBC he accused the NSA of conducting a broad "dragnet" of
> communications, and "invading the privacy of American citizens."
>
> He is joined in his concerns by a small number of politicians In Britain.
> Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker has tabled a series of questions about
> Menwith Hill, but has been met with a wall of silence.
>
> "There's no doubt it's being used as a listening centre," he said, "There's
> no doubt it's being used for US interests, and I'm not convinced that
> Britain's interests are being best served by this."

_____________________________________________________________________
David Farber
The Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Telecommunication Systems
University of Pennsylvania
Home Page: http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~farber
Email: farber () cis upenn edu

Home: +1 610 274 8292; Cell and Office: +1 215 327 8756; Fax:  +1 408 490 2720