European Parliament report accuses agency of widespread spying
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.
Originally published on Sep 19 1998 The Baltimore Sun, 1998 |
