----- Original Message ----- From: MichaelP <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2000 9:08 AM Subject: French to sue US/UK over Echelon spying > The Times ( London ) February 10 2000 EUROPE > French to sue US and Britain over network of spies > > FROM ADAM SAGE IN PARIS > > > > THE British and US Governments are to be sued in France after claims that > they have spied on French companies, diplomats and Cabinet ministers. > Lawyers are planning a class action after confirmation last week that a > global anglophone spy network exists. Codenamed P-415 Echelon, the > world's most powerful electronic spy system was revealed in declassified > US National Security Agency documents published on the Internet, and is > capable of intercepting telephone conversations, faxes and e-mails. > > The system was established in the 1980s by the UKUSA alliance, which > unites the British, American, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian secret > services. In Europe, its listening devices are at Menwith Hill defence > base in Yorkshire. French MPs claim to have evidence that the European > Airbus consortium lost a Fr35 billion (3.5 billion) contract in 1995 after > its offer was overheard and passed to Boeing. Georges Sarre, a left-wing > MP, said: "The participation of the United Kingdom in spying on its > European partners for and with the US raises serious and legitimate > concerns in that it creates a particularly acute conflict of interest > within the European Union." > > The European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee will study a report on > the Echelon network on February 23. The debate is certain to fuel > criticism of Britain's role. > > Until this month, the network was an official secret recognised by none of > the members of the UKUSA alliance. But the documents published by the > George Washington University prove its existence and its capacity to > intercept civilian satellite communications. > > Jean-Pierre Millet, a Parisian lawyer, said that Echelon tracked every > mobile and satellite call, but only decoded those involving a key figure. > "You can bet that every time a French government minister makes a mobile > phone call, it is recorded," he said. > > M Millet said that Echelon's system leaves it open to legal challenge > under French privacy laws. "The simple fact that an attempt has been made > to intercept a communication is against the law in France, however the > information is exploited." Yesterday he said that he would bring an action > on behalf of French civil liberty groups. > > > ================================= > > > *** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material > is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest > in receiving the included information for research and educational > purposes. *** > > > > > >
