Nexus - 0606 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

The collusion between intelligence agencies and their contrac- tors is frightening in the chilling effect it has on creating any for- eign or even domestic competition. But just as important is that it is a gross misuse of taxpayer-financed resources. ignoring or failing to address these issues could foster the demise of our republican form of government. Such is the threat, as Senator Frank Church warned the American people over twenty isa gross misuse of taxpayer-financed resources. _ years ago: OO At the same time, that capability at any time could be turned THE WARNING around on the American people and no American would have While the UKUSA relationship is a product of Cold War politi- any privacy left, such [is] the capability to monitor every - cal and military tensions, ECHELON is purely a product of the thing: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn't matter. 20th century—the century of "statism". The modern drive toward There would be no place to hide. If this government ever the assumption of state power has turned legitimate national secu- became a tyranny, if a dictator ever took charge in this coun - rity agencies and apparati into pawns in a manipulative game, try, the technological capacity that the intelligence communi - where the stakes are no less than the survival of the Constitution. ty has given the government could enable it to impose total The systems developed prior to ECHELON were designed to con- tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back, because front the expansionist goals of the Soviet Empire—something the the most careful effort to combine together in resistance to West was forced out of necessity to do. the government, no matter how privately it was done, is with - But as Glyn Ford, European Parliament representative for in the reach of the government to know. Such is the capabili - Manchester, England, and the driving force behind the European ty of this technology... investigation of ECHELON, has pointed out: "The difficulty is I don't want to see this country ever go across the bridge. I that the technology has now become so elaborate that what was know the capacity that is there to make tyranny total in originally a small client list has become the whole world."* America, and we must see to it that this agency and all agen - What began as a noble alliance to contain and defeat the forces cies that possess this technology operate within the law and of communism has turned into a carte blanche to disregard the under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that rights and liberties of the American people and the population of abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return.© the free world. As has been demonstrated time and again, the RECENT DEVELOPMENTS NSA has been persistent in sub- S ince this author's ECHELON report verting not just the intent of the w iffi i was first sent to the US Congress in law in regard to the prohibition The difficulty Is that the November 1998, increased attention of domestic spying, but the letter technology has now become SO has been directed at the spy system by as well. The laws that were cre- elaborate that what was originally international media outlets and govern- ated to constrain the intelligence mental representatives. As news of the agencies from infringing on our a small client list has become system's sweeping technological capa- liberties are frequently flaunted, " bility comes to light, questions continue re-interpreted and_ revised the whole world. to be raised concerning the possible illicit according to the bidding and Glyn Ford, ff uses of the system to circumvent domes- wishes of political spymasters in European Parliament representative ff tic civil liberties protections. Washington, DC. Old habits die for Manchester, England The May 1999 publication of British hard, it seems. investigator Duncan Campbell's detailed As stated above, there is a report, "Interception Capabilities 2000", need for such sophisticated surveillance technology. for the European Parliament's Science and Technology Options Unfortunately, the world is filled with criminals, drug lords, ter- Assessment Panel (STOA) continued to expose the scope of rorists and dictators who threaten the peace and security of many ECHELON's supporting facilities and the reach of its surveillance nations. The thought that ECHELON can be used to eliminate or —_ technology. Among the report's key findings: control these international thugs is heartening. But defenders of ¢ While "word spotting" search systems have been previously ECHELON argue that the rare intelligence victories over these thought to be widespread throughout the system, evidence indi- forces of darkness and death give wholesale justification to indis- cates that this nascent technology is currently ineffective. criminate surveillance of the entire world and every member of it. However, ECHELON utilises speaker recognition system "voice- But more complicated issues than that remain. prints" to recognise the speech patterns of targeted individuals The shameless and illegal targeting of political opponents, busi- making international telephone calls. ness competitors, dissidents and even Christian ministries stands * US law enforcement agencies are working with their as a testament that if we are to remain free, we must bind these — European counterparts under the auspices of a previously secret intelligence systems and those that operate them with the heavy organisation, ILETS (International Law Enforcement chains of transparency and accountability to our elected officials. Telecommunications Seminar), to incorporate backdoor wiretap- But the fact that the ECHELON apparatus can be quickly turned _ ping capabilities into all existing forms of communications sys- around on those same officials in order to maintain some advan- tems. In addition, the US Government is continuing to pursue tage for the intelligence agencies indicates that these agencies are _—_ diplomatic initiatives to convince other governments to adopt not presently under the control of our elected representatives. "key escrow" legislation requiring computer users to provide law That Congress is not aware of or able to curtail these abuses of | enforcement agencies with encryption keys. power is a frightening harbinger of what may come here in the * The NSA continues to work with US software manufacturers United States. The European Parliament has begun the debate to weaken the cryptographic capability of popular software pro- over what ECHELON is, how it is being used and how free coun- grams, such as Lotus Notes and Internet browsers, to assist the tries should use such a system. The US Congress should join that Continued on page 83 same debate with the understanding that the consequences of NEXUS - 23 "The difficulty is that the a small client list has become the whole world." OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 1999