NSA shares raw intelligence including Americans' data with Israel

UK Guardian ^ | September 11, 2013 | Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Ewen MacAskill

[don-o]

• Secret deal places no legal limits on use of data by Israelis • Only official US government communications protected • Agency insists it complies with rules governing privacy • Read the NSA and Israel's 'memorandum of understanding'

The National Security Agency routinely shares raw intelligence data with Israel without first sifting it to remove information about US citizens, a top-secret document provided to the Guardian by whistleblower Edward Snowden reveals.

Details of the intelligence-sharing agreement are laid out in a memorandum of understanding between the NSA and its Israeli counterpart that shows the US government handed over intercepted communications likely to contain phone calls and emails of American citizens. The agreement places no legally binding limits on the use of the data by the Israelis.

The disclosure that the NSA agreed to provide raw intelligence data to a foreign country contrasts with assurances from the Obama administration that there are rigorous safeguards to protect the privacy of US citizens caught in the dragnet. The intelligence community calls this process "minimization", but the memorandum makes clear that the information shared with the Israelis would be in its pre-minimized state.

The deal was reached in principle in March 2009, according to the undated memorandum, which lays out the ground rules for the intelligence sharing.

[Skepolitic]

I doubt the NSA is sharing much with the other 50 states.

[null and void]

I suppose conspiracy theories can be infinitely recursive (The NSA seems to have a conspiracy theory about conspiracy theories.)

Yeah. I am soooooooooooooo screwed!

[Ransomed]

I recall a story that came out years ago that alleged the UK and the US listen in on the other nation’s phone calls, then simply exchange the info.

Freegards

[PapaBear3625]

Sounds like a convenient arrangement to have the Israelis sift through the data for “good stuff” that could be used for purposes other than national security. Just sayin...

The Israelis could collect and maintain information that would be illegal and unconstitutional for US agencies to be fooling with. The Israelis would also be immune from FOIA requests, and they tend to have fewer leaks.

It's something that's been done before, for example police agencies using the Anti-Defamation League to maintain info on people:

February 26, 1993|By Los Angeles Times

SAN FRANCISCO -- A private intelligence network with ties to an American Jewish group and South Africa is under investigation for illegally tapping into police sources and collecting information on the political activities of more than 12,000 people, authorities say.

As part of the investigation, San Francisco authorities say they have confiscated files containing personal information on a wide range of political activists, ethnic advocates, writers and other U.S. residents. Much of the information allegedly is from confidential government data banks and police agencies.

One former San Francisco police intelligence officer, who allegedly funneled police files to the spy operation, is under investigation on allegations that he sold confidential information about hundreds of people to the South African government. After he was questioned in November by the FBI, which began the investigation, he fled to the Philippines.

Most of the information, however, appears to have been collected on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League, a nationwide organization that is dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism and bigotry. Officials of the organization, as well as its paid undercover operatives, could face charges for gathering intelligence illegally, authorities said, but spokesmen for the league denied any wrongdoing.

[Starboard]

“The Israelis could collect and maintain information that would be illegal and unconstitutional for US agencies to be fooling with. The Israelis would also be immune from FOIA requests, and they tend to have fewer leaks.”
**********
Good points. It is indeed a very convenient arrangement.

Good and informative post overall. Regards.

[PapaBear3625]

There's also the suspicion that the US, Britain, and other countries are engaged in mutual spying on each others citizens. In other words, the Brits spy on US citizens that the NSA is prohibited from spying on, and vice versa.