| http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=005273156061704&rtmo=wKtKt5nb&atmo=rrrrrrrq&
pg=/et/01/6/16/wech16.html Bush offers spy-net aid against Eta separatists By Isambard Wilkinson in Madrid AMERICA has agreed to share highly classified material from the Anglo-American "Echelon" intelligence network with the Spanish government to help Madrid's battle against the Basque separatist group Eta. British security sources said an agreement was signed before President Bush visited the Spanish capital this week. It is believed that a delegation of US intelligence officers was sent to Spain in recent weeks to finalise the deal. As a result, the Spanish are receiving decoded intercepts relating to Eta's plans for terrorist operations. Echelon is a joint operation by America's National Security Agency and GCHQ, in Cheltenham, Glos, Britain's eavesdroppers. It was set up in 1948 by America, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and can intercept and decrypt information transmitted by code machines, emails, telephones and faxes . France and the European Parliament have alleged that the network is used to spy on European Union companies for American firms. The deal was alluded to by Josep Pique, Spain's Foreign Minister, who confirmed in general terms that America had agreed to spy on Eta. He said: "It opens up a very promising field of action, so that we can definitely defeat terrorism." America's offer to Spain would have required agreement by all Echelon nations. |
