"This is the confirmation of Echelon's existence, isn't it?"
"Yes," says Mr. Dietrich from the German intelligence service,
Verfassungsschutz.
GERMAN SPIES: ECHELON EXISTS
For 18 months now, Germany's intelligence service has issued warnings
against Echelon's industrial espionage
Dig that. Today, Ekstra Bladet can help the upcoming parliamentary
commission that shall investigate Echelon. We can now document that the
German intelligence service has been warning against Echelon's espionage
for at least 18 months. In Denmark, the Military Intelligence Service (FE)
states that they know nothing more than what they read in the newspapers.
They tackle the situation a little differently in Germany.
Germany's national intelligence agency, Verfassungsschutz, openly
warns its business and industry community against Echelon. Germany's
intelligence agencies do more than just warn against the spying, however.
They also instruct German industry in how to protect themselves against
the illegal espionage network. Since June 1999, the German intelligence
service has been recommending German companies to encrypt all important
information, i.e. encode it to prevent Echelon's spies from listening in.
And the entire process is very open. Verfassungsschutz has issued its
warnings and protection guidelines as folders which they send to German
industry.
THIS IS A WARNING
The German intelligence service's descriptions of Echelon totally confirm
Ekstra Bladets disclosures during the past six months in which defected
spies have told about their work at these very same espionage bases shown
on the revealing map.
The warning issued by Verfassungsschutz is dated October 1998. It
contains a graphic depiction of the 'Echelon global electronic
intelligence system' showing a world map with several Echelon listening
posts drawn in. The same listening posts that Ekstra Bladet has described
in countless articles over the past six months. The drawing shows how the
US, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are systematically
monitoring all communication around the world. 'Without filtering, Echelon
monitors all e-mail, telephone, facsimile and telex communication sent via
satellite around the world," writes the German intelligence agency,
Verfassungsschutz. Ekstra Bladet spoke with Verfassungsschutz to confirm
that their warning should be taken seriously.
Did you issue this same warning to German industry?
"Yes. We did," says a spokesman for Verfassungsschutz who says his
name is Mr. Dietrich.
The reason I am asking is to confirm whether this is your
stationery.
"Well, it is."
This is the confirmation of Echelon's existence, isn't it?
"Yes," says Mr. Dietrich from the German intelligence service,
Verfassungsschutz.
FE KNOWS NOTHING
Denmark's military intelligence service, FE, whistles a completely
different tune.
"All we know about Echelon's existence comes from so-called 'open
sources' (press and media coverage - ed.). Like stories you have written
and articles published by the foreign press."
What information have you passed on to Denmark's Minister of
Defense?
"We told him that we do not participate in Echelon and that the
only information we have on it comes from 'open sources', like I said,"
says Michael Peytz from the FE.
At the risk of sounding brazen, one might ask whether the
taxpayers are getting enough for their money if the intelligence service
states that it knows nothing about an extensive system that Germany's
Verfassungsschutz has known about for 18 months?
"Yes, one could ask that question. But we don't know anything
about it. And like I said, we have not participated in it nor do we know
anything about it�," says Michael Peytz to Ekstra Bladet.
So you do not have any other knowledge of Echelon other than that
what you have read in 'open sources'?
"No we don't. That is correct."
Which is also what you have informed the Minister?
"Yes, it is," says Michael Peytz.
TWO-THIRDS INDUSTRIAL SPIES
According to Germany's Verfassungsschutz, Echelon's industrial espionage
should be taken very seriously. In statistics compiled by
Verfassungsschutz on espionage cases from 1997, industrial espionage
constitutes not less than 62 percent - or two-thirds - of all espionage
cases in Germany known to Verfassungsschutz. The report from the German
intelligence service also states that the US espionage services behind
Echelon - the CIA and the NSA - are the only Western intelligence services
in a group that otherwise consists of Libyan, Iranian, Iraqi, Chinese and
North Korean intelligence services - the very same spy agencies that the
Americans themselves have singled out as the "main enemies" on several
occasions since the end of the Cold War.
Denmark's Prime Minister, Minster of Justice and Minister of
Defense all declined to comment on the German information. The
Confederation of Danish Industries has applied pressure on the Danish
Government for a thorough account of the situation.
Marianne Castenskiold, from the Confederation of Danish Industries,
believes not only that Echelon should be investigated, but also that light
should be shed on the role of Denmark's intelligence services.
ECHELON IN THE EU
The European Commission refuses to acknowledge the existence of Echelon.
In a report before the European Parliament, the Finnish Commissioner for
Industry, Errki Likkanen, rejected the notion that Echelon exists. By
contrast, he recited a statement, without personal comment, from the US
State Department which asserted that the US does not commit industrial
espionage against European countries. He also referred to a letter from
Great Britain's EU ambassador, Stephen Wahl, who asserts that British
spies are only permitted to monitor telecommunications if national
security is at stake.
"This is very embarrassing," says Jens-Peter Bonde, Denmark's June
Movement, who like Pernille Frahm, Denmark's Socialist People's Party, had
anticipated that the Commission would humble themselves and admit their
knowledge of Echelon. The two parliament members have now collected more
than 200 signatures for a commission of investigation that shall clear up
Echelon's espionage against European countries.
"I thoroughly anticipate that the investigation will be adopted in
the Parliament, next month at the latest," informs Bonde.
He goes on to state that Germany's social democratic group will in
all probability also support the demand for an investigation.
There was an opening from the Council of Ministers, however. In a
statement from the Parliament rostrum, Chairman Fernando Gomez denounced
Echelon 'to the extent that it exists', as he put it.
Caption: Material from Verfassungschutz Badem-Wurtemberg, that describes
the Echelon network.
Original Verfassungsschutz chart can be found at
http://www1.ekstrabladet.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=44659
>>Bevar naturen: Sylt et egern.<<
>>URL: http://www.datashopper.dk/~boo/index.html<<
>>ECHELON URL:<<
>>http://www1.ekstrabladet.dk/netdetect/echelon.iasp<<
