From: "Vladimir Z. Nuri" <vznuri@netcom.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 14:08:53 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: "world communications being monitored"
Message-ID: <199608170344.UAA05092@netcom22.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



------- Forwarded Message
From: "Mat Guthrie" <matguthrie@enterprise.net>
To: mmlist-l@newciv.org
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 20:14:39 +0000
Subject: All Int' Communications Are Monitored


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Hi there all,

I heard an amazing news report on the radio today, that confirmed
what I've heard and suspected for a long time - all international
communications *are* continually being monitored!!

The report was on "The World at One" news report on BBC Radio 4 -
about as respected, reliable and informative a source as any
mainstream media is ever likely to be. The feature spoke about a
book that's come out in New Zealand called "Secret Power" by Nicky
Hager, that has been endorsed by the former (?) Prime Minister of New
Zealand himself. It supposedly goes into great detail about an
international agreement called "Echelon" of which the US, UK,
France, New Zealand, Australia and several other nations are all
participants. According to Nicky Hager - who was interviewed on the
program - a system of monitoring stations have been set up in various
countries in the world that continually monitor ALL fax, email,
telephone and satellite communications etc, "sniffing" for keywords
using super computers. When these key words are identified the
information is automatically logged and according to Hager, sent
directly to the US intelligence services.

Now whilst many of us have undoubtedly come across this sort of
information before and undoubtedly many of us have probably scoffed
at such ascertions as merely impossible and blatantly paranoid,
something very significant sets this report apart. Before the book
was published, Hager went with his manuscript to the New Zealand
Prime Minister who had been responsible for signing NZ up to the
agreement (I got the impression that he is no longer in power). 
Anyway, the PM was so shocked by the revelations that the book 
contained, that he has written the forward to the book. Supposedly he 
says that he had no idea of the true nature of the agreement and the 
powers which it bestowed on the intelligence services and is 
obviously trying to distance himself from the storm that's beginning 
to brew up about it. Maybe he's just covering his arse or maybe he 
was just another puppet head of government who wasn't properly 
informed about what was really taking place in his own country, but 
either way, the fact that he has got involved with the book adds 
considerable credibility to it's claims. Those of you who have often 
said that such wide-scale monitoring is "obviously impossible" might 
be wise to re-evaluate your positions!

Anyway, there was no further report on the BBC Radio 4 evening news 
and nothing about it on TV, so maybe that's all we're hear about it 
over here in the UK - and maybe even less for you lot in the good old 
US of A. The book isn't in print over here, so needless to say, I'll 
be contacting a book seller over in New Zealand to see if I can get 
myself a copy and I'll keep you informed. If anyone out there in NZ could 
give me a phone number of a sizeable book shop over there, I'd really 
appreciate it and if anyone else has any info on this, please pass it 
on.

I wonder if "Secret Power" is now on their keyword list?  If it is 
then - "Hi there big bro'. I hope you're all having a nice day!"<g>

Take care out there,
      See ya

           Mat

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