FC: FBI moves to block VoiceStream purchase over wiretapping concerns

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

----- Forwarded message from Bill Stewart <bill.stewart () pobox com> -----

From: Bill Stewart <bill.stewart () pobox com>
Subject: Tapping cellphones for National Security
To: cypherpunks () cyberpass net
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 01:01:38 -0800
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.5 (32)

Total Telecom is a free (registration-probably-required) news-clipping
service covering telecom issues.  This lovely article is about the
FBI's current hypocritical pretenses of protecting "national security"
and "privacy" by increasing their wiretapping abilities,
using laws that were written to prevent hostile foreign domination of
(ok, and competition with US firms for) critical national infrastructure.
(Mind you, I think the laws are bogus, but the FBI is increasing
the bogon density around them considerably.)

http://www.totaltele.com/view.asp?ArticleID=35057&pub=tt&categoryid=0

U.S. works out security issues with VoiceStream & DT 
By Jeremy Pelofsky, Reuters
20 December 2000
                          
U.S. law enforcement authorities are working to address national
security concerns about acquisitions of VoiceStream Wireless Corp. and
Powertel Inc. by Deutsche Telekom AG , which is partially owned by the
German government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the companies filed a joint
petition made available on Tuesday asking the Federal Communications
Commission, which has to determine whether the combinations are in the
public interest, to hold off ruling until the parties reach an
agreement.

VoiceStream , based in Bellevue, Wash., agreed to be acquired by the
German telecommunications giant earlier this year in a $34 billion
deal.  VoiceStream also agreed to acquire Powertel for about $6
billion in August.

Law enforcement agencies "have concerns that the merger could, absent
an appropriate agreement, impair the ability of authorized
governmental agencies in the U.S. to satisfy their obligations to
preserve the national security, enforce the laws and protect the
public," according to the petition.

Germany's 44 percent stake in DT, which the government has pledged to
divest, has raised concerns among some in the U.S. Congress about the
impact the German government backing could have on competition and
U.S. national security.

The agencies are seeking assurances of the ability to conduct
lawfully-authorized electronic surveillance of domestic calls and
those that begin or end in the United States, the petition said,
a copy of which was filed with the FCC.

The FBI and U.S. Justice Department also said they are seeking to
prevent as well as detect foreign-based or other illegal surveillance
that could risk U.S. security and the privacy of the nation's
telecommunications system.

[snip --dbm]
                                Thanks! 
                                        Bill
Bill Stewart, bill.stewart () pobox com
PGP Fingerprint D454 E202 CBC8 40BF  3C85 B884 0ABE 4639


----- End forwarded message -----



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