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72 * NEXUS & REVIEWS BODY OF SECRETS: Bamford takes us through secret US mili- _are nevertheless intriguing. How America’s NSA and Britain's tary operations where the NSA has played a Researchers into these mysteries and GCH@Q Eavesdrop on the World major role, and into the theatres it is up to its _ sacred oddities have always suspected that by James Bamford neck in now. His revelations about the can- _ Sauniére left behind some clue to a specific Century, UK, 2001 celled 1961 Operation Northwoods resound _ location which held "the secret", and Douzet . . | “0. _ chillingly post-September 11. He also takes — may well have found it: a previously 27746 tip, avaiable TESNZ ead 2002} us behind the scenes as far as possible into unknown topographical model that Sauniére 0.385-49907-8 USA ’ the structure, personnel, infrastructure, hard- | Commissioned in 1916, but never took deliv- ( ) ware, capabilities and research operations of _ ery of. The model bears names that parallel Price: A$64.95 (hc); NZ$72 00 (he); the NSA, with special emphasis on its espi-__ those of the Calvary Mount region and the £20.00; NLG78.90, Euro35.90; onage activities and its power-hand in "tomb of Jesus” in Jerusalem, but Douzet US$29.95 domestic and international politics, com- found that the topography didn't match, even Availability: Aust/NZ/UK— Random merce and defence. An engrossing read. after a plaster cast was made. Yet his persis- House; Europe—NEXUS Office; USA— tence paid off, for he has identified the land- Doubleday, tel (212) 782 9000 SAUNIERE'S MODEL AND THE scape as representing the area around the old village of Périllos in the Durban—Corbiéres region well east of Rennes-le-Chateau (see Base author (The Puzzle Palace) SECRET OF RENNES-LE-CHATEAU and former TV news investigative pro- ducer James Bamford courageously puts the by André Douzet . the website www.perillos.com). shadowy US National Security Agency Adventures Unlimited Press, USA, Frontier Readers will have to persist through this under the microscope in his rivetting exposé. Publishing, the Netherlands, Société version translated from French, but should First off, he looks at the history leading up _Perillos, UK, 2001 still find rewards in Douzet's journey. to the founding of the NSA in 1952, from its ISBN 0-932813-50-X (116pp tpb) roots in the code-breaking activities of Price: A$; NZ$33.00; £7.99; World Wars I and II, to its ultimately NLG#32.90, Euro14.90; US$12.00 Andre Dosret becoming a Cold War imperative due to the Availability: Aust/NZ/UK/Europe— 6 ies Model evelopment of increasingly sophisticated NEXUS offices; USA—AUP, tel (815) 253 saurere's be signals intelligence (SIGINT) technology. 6390, www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com and the Secret of The NSA has since evolved into the world's Ma has been made of the mystery sur- Rennesie Cha largest, most powerful spying agency, hous- rounding the French village of Rennes- 3 ing tens of thousands at its top-secret head- le-Chateau in the eastern Pyrénées foothills, uarters—aptly nicknamed "Crypto City'"— and the fortunes of its parish priest, Abbé near Annapolis, Maryland. As we know, the | Bérenger Sauniére, who officiated there NSA has in its hands the Echelon system, from 1885 until his death in 1917. which facilitates global eavesdropping of But researcher André Douzet has made governments, corporations, groups and indi- _ some exciting new inroads. Not only has he viduals with the use of code-words. It found interesting local historical back- shares and operates this system with its ground, he's also followed Sauniére's little- UKUSA pact partners, primarily Britain's known "esoteric wanderings" through the GCHQ, though it only selectively informs countryside and up to Lyons, and back down its strategically located junior partners like to nearby Arques. Some of these trails may Australia, Canada and New Zealand. have had nothing to do with the mystery, but Bamford takes us through secret US mili- tary operations where the NSA has played a major role, and into the theatres it is up to its neck in now. His revelations about the can- celled 1961 Operation Northwoods resound chillingly post-September 11. He also takes us behind the scenes as far as possible into the structure, personnel, infrastructure, hard- ware, capabilities and research operations of the NSA, with special emphasis on its espi- onage activities and its power-hand in domestic and international politics, com- merce and defence. An engrossing read. are nevertheless intriguing. Researchers into these mysteries and sacred oddities have always suspected that Sauniére left behind some clue to a specific location which held "the secret", and Douzet may well have found it: a previously unknown topographical model that Sauniére commissioned in 1916, but never took deliv- ery of. The model bears names that parallel those of the Calvary Mount region and the "tomb of Jesus" in Jerusalem, but Douzet found that the topography didn't match, even after a plaster cast was made. Yet his persis- tence paid off, for he has identified the land- scape as representing the area around the old village of Périllos in the Durban—Corbiéres region well east of Rennes-le-Chateau (see the website www.perillos.com). Readers will have to persist through this version translated from French, but should still find rewards in Douzet's journey. Anais Ci ret Jaunitre's Model and the Secret of Renines-te- ion www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2001 — JANUARY 2002