ECHELON: America's Secret Global Surveillance Network

Free Congress.org ^ | 1999 | Patrick S. Poole

[DJ Taylor]

Executive Summary

In the greatest surveillance effort ever established, the US National Security Agency (NSA) has created a global spy system, codename ECHELON, which captures and analyzes virtually every phone call, fax, email and telex message sent anywhere in the world. ECHELON is controlled by the NSA and is operated in conjunction with the Government Communications Head Quarters (GCHQ) of England, the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) of Canada, the Australian Defense Security Directorate (DSD), and the General Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) of New Zealand. These organizations are bound together under a secret 1948 agreement, UKUSA, whose terms and text remain under wraps even today.

The ECHELON system is fairly simple in design: position intercept stations all over the world to capture all satellite, microwave, cellular and fiber-optic communications traffic, and then process this information through the massive computer capabilities of the NSA, including advanced voice recognition and optical character recognition (OCR) programs, and look for code words or phrases (known as the ECHELON “Dictionary”) that will prompt the computers to flag the message for recording and transcribing for future analysis. Intelligence analysts at each of the respective “listening stations” maintain separate keyword lists for them to analyze any conversation or document flagged by the system, which is then forwarded to the respective intelligence agency headquarters that requested the intercept.

But apart from directing their ears towards terrorists and rogue states, ECHELON is also being used for purposes well outside its original mission. The regular discovery of domestic surveillance targeted at American civilians for reasons of “unpopular” political affiliation or for no probable cause at all in violation of the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution – are consistently impeded by very elaborate and complex legal arguments and privilege claims by the intelligence agencies and the US government.

[DJ Taylor]

More than you ever wanted to know about how the Clinton White House spied on the American people, and for reasons other than national security.

[kellynla]

BTTT

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The NSA has been around for a while. One of my dad's pals in 1950s Japan was part of this outfit. He always said it stood for No Such Agency.

[Jack Black]

Democrats in High Dungeon. Pointing out that Clinton did this ain't gonna cut it. Bush ADMITTED he did it, Clinton did not.

They think they have their issue for the impeachment. First act of the next Congress if Bush wins a second term.

[Jack Black]

Ooops I meant "First act of the next Congress if the Donkeys win the majority". Duh.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

The president sent a big STFU sandwich to democrats and NY Times this morning.

"Members of congress have been briefed at least a DOZEN times that the NSA was actively monitoring suspected terrorists."

Another non-story blows up in the faces of the idiots at the NY Slimes.

[Petruchio]

Triplicate.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1543118/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1543347/posts

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I'm listening to Rush run cuts from the news conf.

[msnimje]

So President Bush has SCALED BACK on the number of American's under surveillance since the end of the Clinton Administration???

[msnimje]

Can THIS particular story really be posted too much?

[DJ Taylor]

This ain't the 60 minutes story.

[NJ_gent]

"and look for code words or phrases (known as the ECHELON “Dictionary”) that will prompt the computers to flag the message for recording and transcribing for future analysis."

Keywords? Heh, that was back in the 70s. Since then, AI programming has been put in place to handle things like context and encoded messages ("the bird flies at dawn" type of stuff). If they just had it flagging keywords with all the communication traffic we see today, they'd have to employ half a billion people just to glance at everything briefly.

[verity]

I do not think they are eavesdropping on your obscene phone calls.

[massgopguy]

FISA was passed in 1978. Who was in the White House, who controlled Congress, the DOD?

[Proud_USA_Republican]

I'm sure now that the president has informed the public on national tv that DEMOCRATS in congress were aware of this, the liberal media will quickly kill this story.

I know exactly what the NY Slimes was up too. They released this non-story the week the patriot act was being renewed and the iraqi election was taking place. One, to steal any thunder given the president for the successful election. Two, thinking they could paint the president into some Nixon style watergate.

Well, the rest of the liberal media took the bait. Now they all look like idiots as usual.

[Killborn]

Is ECHELON and Carnivore legit?

[Spiff]

Another non-story blows up in the faces of the idiots at the NY Slimes.

I disagree. This invented and well-timed story successfully kept the success of the Iraqi elections off the front page. Bush had to get on national TV twice within 24 hours in an attempt to get at least some of the truth out. But the big story here is how the administration is letting these leaks go on uninvestigated and unpunished and how weak the Republicans in the House and Senate are on these issues. The only quote I heard this morning was spineless Lindsey Graham whining about the NSA "eavesdropping". Where's the RNC chair? Hiding under his desk?

[Red6]

Actually Canada is in on it too.

Red6

[sheikdetailfeather]

Rush just played President Bush saying in his news conference "We are at war and the Justice Dept. will proceed with a full investigation."

[msnimje]

I do not think they are eavesdropping on your obscene phone calls.

Did you miss a dose of medication today?