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Dirty tricks of the USA: bug the phones/emails of UN members

 
 
frolic
 
Reply Mon 3 Mar, 2003 10:17 am
The United States is conducting a secret 'dirty tricks' campaign against UN Security Council delegations in New York as part of its battle to win votes in favour of war against Iraq.

Details of the aggressive surveillance operation, which involves interception of the home and office telephones and the emails of UN delegates in New York, are revealed in a document leaked to The Observer.

(read the secret document)

The disclosures were made in a memorandum written by a top official at the National Security Agency - the US body which intercepts communications around the world - and circulated to both senior agents in his organisation and to a friendly foreign intelligence agency asking for its input.

The memo describes orders to staff at the agency, whose work is clouded in secrecy, to step up its surveillance operations 'particularly directed at... UN Security Council Members (minus US and GBR, of course)' to provide up-to-the-minute intelligence for Bush officials on the voting intentions of UN members regarding the issue of Iraq.

The leaked memorandum makes clear that the target of the heightened surveillance efforts are the delegations from Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Mexico, Guinea and Pakistan at the UN headquarters in New York - the so-called 'Middle Six' delegations whose votes are being fought over by the pro-war party, led by the US and Britain, and the party arguing for more time for UN inspections, led by France, China and Russia.

The memo is directed at senior NSA officials and advises them that the agency is 'mounting a surge' aimed at gleaning information not only on how delegations on the Security Council will vote on any second resolution on Iraq, but also 'policies', 'negotiating positions', 'alliances' and 'dependencies' - the 'whole gamut of information that could give US policymakers an edge in obtaining results favourable to US goals or to head off surprises'.

Dated 31 January 2003, the memo was circulated four days after the UN's chief weapons inspector Hans Blix produced his interim report on Iraqi compliance with UN resolution 1441.

It was sent by Frank Koza, chief of staff in the 'Regional Targets' section of the NSA, which spies on countries that are viewed as strategically important for United States interests.

Koza specifies that the information will be used for the US's 'QRC' - Quick Response Capability - 'against' the key delegations.

Suggesting the levels of surveillance of both the office and home phones of UN delegation members, Koza also asks regional managers to make sure that their staff also 'pay attention to existing non-UN Security Council Member UN-related and domestic comms [office and home telephones] for anything useful related to Security Council deliberations'.

Koza also addresses himself to the foreign agency, saying: 'We'd appreciate your support in getting the word to your analysts who might have similar more indirect access to valuable information from accesses in your product lines [ie, intelligence sources].' Koza makes clear it is an informal request at this juncture, but adds: 'I suspect that you'll be hearing more along these lines in formal channels.'

Disclosure of the US operation comes in the week that Blix will make what many expect to be his final report to the Security Council.

It also comes amid increasingly threatening noises from the US towards undecided countries on the Security Council who have been warned of the unpleasant economic consequences of standing up to the US.

Sources in Washington familiar with the operation said last week that there had been a division among Bush administration officials over whether to pursue such a high-intensity surveillance campaign with some warning of the serious consequences of discovery.

The existence of the surveillance operation, understood to have been requested by President Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is deeply embarrassing to the Americans in the middle of their efforts to win over the undecided delegations.

The language and content of the memo were judged to be authentic by three former intelligence operatives shown it by The Observer. We were also able to establish that Frank Koza does work for the NSA and could confirm his senior post in the Regional Targets section of the organisation.

The NSA main switchboard put The Observer through to extension 6727 at the agency which was answered by an assistant, who confirmed it was Koza's office. However, when The Observer asked to talk to Koza about the surveillance of diplomatic missions at the United Nations, it was then told 'You have reached the wrong number'.

On protesting that the assistant had just said this was Koza's extension, the assistant repeated that it was an erroneous extension, and hung up.

While many diplomats at the UN assume they are being bugged, the memo reveals for the first time the scope and scale of US communications intercepts targeted against the New York-based missions.

The disclosure comes at a time when diplomats from the countries have been complaining about the outright 'hostility' of US tactics in recent days to persuade then to fall in line, including threats to economic and aid packages.

The operation appears to have been spotted by rival organisations in Europe. 'The Americans are being very purposeful about this,' said a source at a European intelligence agency when asked about the US surveillance efforts.

Guardian ©

This is outragious Its time to make Bush and his fellow war mates clear that we(the free world) no longer support his undemocratic behaviour!
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 3,064 • Replies: 36
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BillW
 
  1  
Reply Mon 3 Mar, 2003 05:39 pm
It wouldn't surprise me. The Bush team is even much lower that this. And you want this guy messing around with your civil rights?

Gees!
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Asherman
 
  1  
Reply Mon 3 Mar, 2003 07:11 pm
This may be a bogus document, but let's assume it is not.

NSA has conducted signals intelligence operations monitoring virtually all international signals, and doesn't discriminate who sends or receives the signal. Radio and satellite transmissions are "in the air", and NSA plucks them out pretty efficiently. The result is a flood of data, most of which is useless and of no interest to the Intelligence Community. Various techniques and technologies are used to screen the data, and pare it down to those signals most likely to contribute useful data. Analysts then try to connect the dots and produce information useful to the Federal Government. If a country signals its UN representative to vote a certain way for a certain reason, and the information falls into our Intelligence nets why wouldn't the information be passed along to the State Department? This isn't something that is particularly secret and unknown to the world's diplomats. Everyone knows that electronic signals can be intercepted, and that the United States is the best there is at that game.
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BillW
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 11:10 am
They are also the biggest, baddest bullies in the world also. Doesn't make me any less ashamed of this administration!!!!!!!!
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NeoGuin
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 01:32 pm
Well then let's show DUH-BYA that we don't want a war by going to
http://www.moveon.org/emergency
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Asherman
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 02:05 pm
Neither the NSA, nor the Intelligence Community are bullies; they are collectors of data relevant to the security interests of the United States. They process the harvest into usuable information and provide that information to the policy makers in our government. Intelligence can never see into a person's thoughts, or devine their intentions with any great degree of certainty. Signals and electronic intelligence can track messages and things which emmit an electronic signal, but they seldom are able to predict the exact time, place and type of attack. The data gathered from Satelite pictures is even less substantial when trying to understand intentions. When we see an adversary concentrating his forces along a border in a short amount of time, and with some care to conceal the concentration, we can rightly infer that an attack MAY be gathering.

In any case, it is fallicious to call the Intelligence Community "bullies". Our Intelligence Community is one of the best in the world, though past administrations virtually destroyed our capacity to gather human intelligence. The service provided by NSA is unmatched anywhere, and it has been providing good quality product for forty years. The most valid criticism that can be leveled at NSA is that it has become somewhat hide-bound, and failed to keep up with the technology as well as it should have. Folks might want to read "The Puzzle Palace", a book that revealed somewhat more about the NSA than most Intelligence people were comfortable with.
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BillW
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 02:07 pm
Not the intelligence community Asherman - the Bush Administrations, the biggest, baddest bullies ever - that is, for a bunch of chickenhawks!
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Asherman
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 02:14 pm
There are certainly many who would agree with you. On the other hand, an equal number of Americans who are just as sincere, and thoughtful, disagree with that opinion. I'm not a Bush fan, but so far he appears to be handling the job, at least foriegn policy matters, in a manner I personally approve of.
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BillW
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 02:16 pm
I would have never guessed that.
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Asherman
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 02:26 pm
I rather suppose that my support for the President of the United States is somewhat less, than your obvious hatred for him. He is not the worst despot since before Ghengis Khan, nor is he the Anti-Christ, nor is there any shred of evidence that he intends to cancel elections and abolish the Constitution as some would claim. The Shrub is just a guy with limited abilities suddenly faced with a grave challenge to the United States. He has good, competent advisors experienced in foriegn relations, and he appears to listen to their advice. His religious convictions are less threatening than they are quaint, and old fashioned.
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dyslexia
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 02:28 pm
our intelligence community has a history of being misused under quite a few administrations giving many of us reason for distrust.
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Asherman
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 02:43 pm
Dys,

What do you mean when you say that the Intelligence Community has been misused by past administrations? They gather data, analyze it and present it to policy makers. What's wrong with that?

Perhaps, you're refering to the Hoover's misuse of the FBI to gather sensitive information on celebrities and political opponents. Hoover did it and used the information to prevent many Presidents from firing him. FBI policies and constraints have hopefully put those old days behind us. The FBI still has problems, but they appear to be getting their house in order.

Perhaps, you're refering to covert operations carried out by the CIA back in the 1960's. Again, that's ancient history and does not typify The Company's recent (10 years, or so) behavior. The covert operations were sometimes ill-considered, but just as often they were important elements in protecting this nation's interests as defined by the NCA. Brave men and women died horrible, but secret deaths, to advance the cause of freedom. We hear of operations that went bad, and of operatives who became rogues. We don't hear of the successes and the heroism displayed by thousands of dedicated agents during the history of the CIA. They weren't bullies either, just patriots risking their lives on orders from on high.
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BillW
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 03:10 pm
Asherman, you just stated what dyslexia said - only in more words!
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Asherman
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 03:17 pm
No, actually I didn't. Both instances are well behind us, and do not reflect the current conditions. Hoover's FBI might be legitimately called "bullies", but it would be wrong to attach the term to any of the Intelligence Community, even during it's darkest periods.

There is no good reason for feelings of paranoia about our government. You don't agree, but my opinion is just as valid as yours.
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steissd
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 03:20 pm
Anti-governmental approach is considered being bon ton in certain circles...
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BillW
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 03:25 pm
It isn't when you have the only game in town, then it is dirty pool! And we have have the low down dirtiest players. Kinda like, one holds your hands behind your back while the other beats you up - they beat up kids, women and old people also!
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steissd
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 03:28 pm
Which kids, women and elderly people does the current administration "beat up"? It seems to me that Mr. Bush is being confused with Genghis Khan once more...
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dyslexia
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 03:30 pm
steissd; not sure what you mean but if you are saying that some of us are anti-govenment you would be right. i do strongly believe that all govenments have as their first agenda their own interests for power and secondly the people governed.
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Asherman
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 03:32 pm
Who are these people you claim are being beaten up by the U.S. government? I don't know of any repressive measures taken agains anyone in this country. Where is the American government beating up women, children and old people?

The fact is that this government sends more aid to the downtrodden than anyone else. North Korea faces a famine, and it is the United States that steps up to the plate and provides food that is stolen from the mouths of starving babies to feed the North Korean army, and Kim's palace favorites.
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steissd
 
  1  
Reply Tue 4 Mar, 2003 03:35 pm
Governments exist to cater needs of the citizens. Even if current administration has any interest in Iraqi oil, these interests coincide with these of the citizens that have to fill their tanks with gas, and they do not want to be dependent on some rabid dictators of Saddam's ilk. But I believe that the primary concern of the U.S. administration led by President George W. Bush is security of the American citizens.
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