Thanks to Terry Hanstock and Ian Tresman for contributions. Contributions, comments and info welcome. – My email address is
Electronic Privacy/ECHELON
The importance of taking advantage of the current debate about Echelon summarised by Nicky Hager: ‘…the lack of serious debate can protect the intelligence agencies from political accountability and control…..it is probably the best opportunity we will have for many years to build public understanding and impose controls on surveillance technology.’ http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/8472/1.html (2 August ’00)
In Europe: On July 5 2000 the European Parliament voted to set up a 36 member Temporary Committee on the Echelon interception system, which is instructed to verify the existence of Echelon and to determine whether the system is compatible with Community law. It may also consider political and legislative initiatives to protect individuals. Britain and the US have been accused of using Echelon to advance their – particularly US – commercial interests, in competition with European countries. The 36 member Echelon Committee will sit for a year and report its findings in July 2001.
The EP rejected the establishment of a ‘Temporary C’tee of inquiry’ which would have had the power to subpoena witnesses, rather than invite them. See http://www.europarl.eu.int/tempcom/en/default.htm (Ctees mandate; agenda; members; STOA studies) http://www.cyber-rights.org/interception/echelon (includes Echelon Map) and http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/6891/1.html (EP votes against inquiry C’tee on Echelon by Jelle van Buuren, 5 July 00)
Other European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, have held hearings on Echelon and related issues, and on July 4, France launched its own investigation into Echelon, economic espionage, and damage to French interests, conducted by a French state prosecutor.(www.zdnet.co.uk/news/2000/26/ns-16418.html)
French Parliament’s Echelon Report (Oct 2000) http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/2/rap-info/i2623.htm (In French). The report ‘recommends that the EU should push for the development of secure computer systems and liberalise policy on encryption.’ The enquiry chairman, Arthur Paecht, says neither US nor British authorities cooperated. See ‘French Echelon Report says Europe should lock out US Snoops’ by John Lettice (www.the register.co.uk/content/1/13974.html). For a translation of part of this report, and more on Echelon, see www.cyber-rights.org/interception/echelon/
Echelon hearing in Dutch Parliament by Jelle van Buuren (27/6/00): www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/6870/1.html
In the US: The House Select C’tee on Intelligence has been asking questions about the legal basis for NSA’s Echelon activities (US law severely limits the ability of the intelligence agencies to engage in domestic surveillance).(www.aclu.org/echelonwatch/echfaq3.htm) Attempts in Congress to make it a legal requirement for the DCIA, DNSA and others to submit a report detailing the legal standards by which surveillance is conducted resulted in a compromise Bill, and the ensuing report, ‘Legal Standards for the IC in conducting electronic surveillance’ gave few details about Echelons operations and legality – see www.aclu.org/echelonwatch/congress.html for developments in Congress.
- EchelonWatch
http://www.echelonwatch.org
http://www.aclu.org/echelonwatch/highlights.html - Excellent website covering developments on Echelon and other surveillance systems worldwide including Carnivore (see below) and SORM (Russian FSB’s internet surveillance project); plus extensive links on electronic surveillance.
The original source for the first Echelon report (New Statesman 12 August 1988) is revealed as Margaret Newsham, who worked at Menwith Hill from 1978 onwards as a software sytem support co-ordinator. Newsham talks about her work to Ekstra Bladet, Nov. ’99 (cryptome.org/echelon-mndc.htm ‘Echelon was my Baby’ and ‘I Sold my life to Big Brother’)
Article on the role of Echelon in economic espionage (Independent 2 July 2000 by Duncan Campbell and Paul Lashmar) www. independent.co.uk/news/World/Americas/2000-07/coldwar 020700.shtml
‘Inside Echelon: The history, structure and function of the global surveillance system known as Echelon’, (25 July 00), by Duncan Campbell: www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/6929/1.html
- ZDNet UK News Special on Echelon
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/specials/2000/06/echelon - Links to many articles on echelon.
- ZDNet Surveillance Special
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/specials/1999/09/surveillance/ - Recent ZDNet articles on surveillance – Echelon, Carnivore, RIP, etc
- State Surveillance in the Internet
http://www.bernal.co.uk - By Francisco Javier Bernal. Covers the technology of surveillance, including Echelon, SORM, Enfopol. Lots of references and links.
- Carnivore
http://www.epic.org/privacy/carnivore/ - Info on Carnivore, the FBI internet monitoring system whose existence was reported in July 2000, and which it is feared could be used for widespread surveillance of email. Includes EPIC’s FOIA lawsuit against the FBI and DoJ, seeking the release of FBI documents on Carnivore, which resulted, in October 2000, in the release of documents revealing the origins of the surveillance system – in an earlier FBI project called ‘Omnivore’, and an even earlier project. (www.epic.org/privacy/carnivore/foia_documents.html)
Also links, eg to the FBI Carnivore page: ‘The Carnivore device provides the FBI with a ‘surgical’ ability to intercept and collect the communications which are the subject of the lawful order while ignoring those communications which they are not authorized to intercept…the Carnivore device works much like commercial ‘sniffers’ ….'(www.fbi.gov/programs/carnivore/carnivore2.htm) - Stop Carnivore
http://www.stopcarnivore.org - By Lance Brown. What is Carnivore; What can it do; Check your ISP for Carnivore; Carnivore-free ISPs; privacy protection software; campaign against Carnivore.
- Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Act
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000023.htm - The RIP Act came into force in October 2000. Aspects of the RIP Act may breach European privacy legislation and the European Commission is investigating four possible breaches of European law (Europe to Investigate Legality of RIP, 27/10/00, www.theregister.co.uk/content/1/14288.html and Net Spy Act may be Illegal, Independent 5/11/00, www.independent.co.uk/news/Digital/Update/ 2000-11/spy051100.shtml)
A public consultation on the draft Codes of Practice (on Interception of Communications, Covert Surveillance and the use of Covert Human Intelligence Sources) was held between September and November 2000. These Codes of Practice can be seen on the Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ripa/ripact.htm
- Lawful Business Practice Regulations
www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2000/20002699.htm - These regulations [full title, The Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000] issued as a Statutory Instrument under the RIPAct in October 2000, authorise businesses/employers to monitor communications transmitted over their systems (otherwise prohibited under Section One of the RIP Act) for a number of purposes. However, the Regulations conflict with the Data Protection Commissioners Draft Code of Practice on the Use of Personal Data in Employer/Employee Relationships (October 2000)(http://wood.ccta.gov.uk/dpr/dpdoc.nsf), which addresses the impact of the Data Protection Act 1998 on the monitoring by employers of telephone calls, emails and internet access by employees. The Code stresses the importance of consulting employees and says covert monitoring of behaviour can only be justified in very limited circumstances such as where criminal activity has been indentified. (See ‘Every Click You Make’ by Bill Thompson at www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,390973,00.html and Britain braces for battle on workplace surveillance at www.zdnet.co.uk/news/2000/42/ns-18605.html Employers Snoop Rights in Doubt, Computer Weekly, 26/10/00, www.computerweekly.co.uk/cwarchive /news/20001026/cwcontainer.asp?name=E2.HTML&SubSection=1)
For up to date info on developments see the Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) RIP Information Centre http://www.fipr.org/rip/index.html
- RIP Countermeasures
http://www.fipr.org/rip/RIPcountermeasures.htm - By Brian Gladman and Ian Brown. ‘This paper aims to show that the envisaged powers for interception and for the seizure of encryption keys are technically inept. It also aims to offer honest computer and internet users advice on the practical steps they can take to maintain their privacy, safety and security in the presence of the oppressive powers introduced by this legislation.’
- The Spy in Your Server
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4049750,00.html By Duncan Campbell (Guardian Online August 10 2000) Electronic surveillance of the internet – RIP, Carnivore, ‘There is no hiding place on the net as governments around the world chase your data.’ - Council of Europe Draft Convention on Cybercrime
http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/EN/projets/cybercrime.doc - Initially released April 2000 with a redrafted version in October, this draft treaty has been widely criticised by privacy campaigners, particularly for criminalising ‘illegal devices’ (eg hacking progs) and its provisions on access to encrypted data. See GILC letter (Oct 2000) setting out detailed objections to the proposed Cybercrime Convention (www.gilc.org/privacy/coe-letter-1000.html) and letter signed by security specialists, at www.ceria.purdue.edu/homes/spaf/coe/TREATY_LETTER.html (also David Banisar’s article, Cybercrime Treaty: Take Two, Oct 8 2000, at www.securityfocus.com /commentary/98)
PRIVACY TOOLS
- EPICs Online Guide to Privacy Tools
http://www.epic.org/privacy/tools.html - Where to get all types of privacy tools: Snoop Proof email; anonymous remailers; Surf Anonymously; voice privacy etc.
- Zero Knowledge Systems
http://www.zeroknowledge.com - ‘Zero Knowledge designs tools and strategies to ensure that all your online activities remain totally private.’ Pioneered Freedom software which protects your privacy on the internet, email and newsgroups, by enabling the user to create untraceable online identities (pseudonyms or ‘nyms’) that use powerful encryption.(www.freedom.net) (US$49.95 for 5 nyms/year)
- Cyber-rights.Net
http://www.cyber-rights.net - Launched by Cyber-rights and Cyber-liberties (UK) in Nov 2000 in the wake of the RIP Act, and supported for initial 3 months by Hush Communications, which provides secure internet communications, the project offers users secure/encrypted email from end-to-end from any location with internet access.
- Hushmail
http://www.hushmail.com - ‘Hushmail is the world’s first, secure end-to-end, free, web-based email service.’ Uses powerful encryption technology to secure email.
- The Anonymizer
http://www.anonymizer.com - ‘The anonymiser protects your internet privacy….surf anonymously from any computer.’
- SafeWeb
http://www.safeweb.com - Provides ‘free, completely private and secure way to surf the web anywhere….’ SafeWebs PrivacyMatrix system employs encryption technology used by banks for secure transactions.
- Freedrive
http://www.freedrive.com - Free internet hard drive where you can store and retrieve info. Files can be saved directly to your freedrive from the internet.
- Starium
www.starium.com - first publicly available voice-encryption device which will provide secure phone calls but is expensive.
ARCHIVES and RELEASED/HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
- National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Books
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/index.html - Approx 35 EBBs provide online access to declassified records on specific issues – US military history, intelligence, foreign policy and national security. Updated frequently, recent additions include: The Death Squad Protection Act (July 2000) www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB34/index.html This Senate measure, passed in July 2000 (in the FY 2001 Defense Authorization Act), would – if approved by full Congress – restrict public access to crucial human rights info, exempting ‘operational files’ of the DIA from release under FOIA. Site contains info on the legislation, the Defense HUMINT service, HUMINT reports, and examples of released docs on human rights abuses that would be withheld under the legislation.
- The NRO Declassified
www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB35/index.html (Sept 2000)
By Jeffery T. Richelson. Site contains documents tracing the National Reconnaissance Office’s development from its establishment in 1961 up to its review during the Clinton administration. - The Guatemalan Military: What the US Files Reveal
www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB32/index.html
Part of the NS Archives ongoing Guatemala Documentation Project, this report was presented in Guatemala City in June 2000. The report contains data on key military units and officers, and images of 48 primary documents. - The National Security Agency Declassified (updated)
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB23/ - Includes (Oct 2000) a newly declassified version of the US Signals Intelligence Directive 18, dated July 27 1993, which governs NSAs interception of communications involving US persons.
- CIA Activities in Chile
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/chile/index.html - This CIA report acknowledges CIA involvement in Chile, and covers the 1960s and 1970s, the time of Allende and Pinochet, and attempts to ‘put the answers into their proper historical context’.
The National Security Archive has posted images of this report and supporting documents (www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20000919/index.html), including an overview of covert actions by the CIA. - Other CIA publications and reports
(www.cia.gov/cia/publications/pubs.html) - include 1998 reports ‘regarding allegations (specifically in the San Jose Mercury News by Gary Webb) of connections between CIA and the Contras in cocaine trafficking in the US’ (www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/october96/crack_contra_11-1.html)
In November 2000 over 16,000 secret US records on the Pinochet dictatorship and Washington’s role in the overthrow of Allende were released, including CIA documents recording US covert operations between 1968 and 1975. See National Security Archive Press Release: www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20001113/ which includes links to selected documents.
- Martin Luther King
US Dept of Justice Investigation of Recent Allegations Regarding the Assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/mlk/part1.htm (June 2000) - This report, resulting from a DoJ investigation, rejects allegations of a conspiracy surrounding James Earl Ray and MLK’s assassination, and recommends no further federal investigation related to the assassination unless and until reliable substantiating facts are presented.
- Vietnam War Declassification Project
http://www.ford.utexas.edu/library/exhibits/vietnam/vietnam.htm - In April 2000, nearly 30,000 pages of newly declassified material on the Vietnam war were released by the Gerald R Ford Library. Can review list of topics covered and full text of selected documents, most from the White House offices of Nat Security advisers Kissinger and Scowcroft, or from files of Nat Security Council Staff.
- The CIA in Iran – Overthrow of Mossadeq
http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/041600iran-cia-index.html - Secret CIA report ‘Clandestine Service History, Overthrow of Premier Mossadeq of Iran, Nov 1952-August 1953’ (an operation planned and executed by the CIA and British SIS). ‘The document, which remains classified, discloses the pivotal role British intelligence officials played in initialing and planning the coup, and it shows that Washington and London shared an interest in maintaining the West’s control over Iranian oil…The operation was the blueprint for a succession of CIA plots to foment coups and destabilize governments during the Cold War.’ On June 16 2000, the New York Times published pdf files of the secret CIA report on its website, with names of participants digitally edited out. Cryptome discovered a flaw in the method used to conceal the names of agents and published the report unedited: http://cryptome.org/cia-iran-all.htm (more on the edited text recovery method at cryptome. org/cia-iran.htm).
- Countering the Changing Threat of International Terrorism
http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/commission.html - Released June 2000 by the National Commission on Terrorism (evaluates US laws and policies preventing terrorism directed at US citizens), its recommendations include to step up significantly US efforts against terrorism and for US policies to firmly target all states that suppport terrorists. Includes list of ‘Foreign Terrorist Organisations’.
- Foreign Relations in the United States
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/frus.html - The Foreign Relations of the United States series is the ‘official documentary historical record of major US foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity’. Currently 28 recent volumes are online, including those on the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations: (www.state.gov/www/about_state/ history/frusonline.html)
- Covert Action in Thailand
Foreign Relations of the US, 1964-68, vol XXVII, Mainland Southeast Asia; Regional Affairs. (Sept 2000)
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/vol_xxvii/index.html - This volume concerns Burma, Cambodia and Thailand, and includes descriptions of the changing procedures during the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson presidencies, related to planning covert actions and special intelligence operations in support of US foreign policy.
- Korean War 1950-53 (NSA)
http://www.nsa.gov/korea/index.html - Includes newly declassified materials relating to the Korean War, eg the Korean War: the Sigint background (material on the history of signals intelligence and cryptology during the war).
- NSA Documents on Interceptions and ‘US Persons’
http://www.epic.org/privacy/nsa/documents.html - Documents obtained by EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) under FOIA. The NSA drafted policies for handling communications intercepted from or about former President Carter, Hillary Clinton, and candidates who ran for office in 1996. The NSA is restricted by law from eavesdropping on US citizens (who aren’t directly involved in foreign intelligence matters). See also USA Today article on these NSA memos, 26/6/00 (www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/cti146.htm)
- John Lennon FBI Files
http://www.lennonfbifiles.com/ - Centre for the Study of Intelligence
http://www.odci.gov/csi/ - The CSI conducts research on intelligence and publishes classified and unclassified editions of the Studies in Intelligence journals. Includes publications, intelligence research, intelligence history (publishing and teaching – CIA history and the CIA’s Cold War records) Published books, all online, include: CIA and the Vietnam Policy makers: Three episodes 1962-1968 (1998) Venona: Soviet Espionage and the American Response 1939-57 (1996) CIA Briefings of Presidential Candidates 1952-92 (1996) At Cold War’s End: US Intelligence on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe 1989-91(1999) http://www.cia.gov/csi/books/19335/art-1.html An intelligence history of the last years of the Soviet Empire, giving a US perspective on the rapidly developing events in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during this time, plus an extensive online volume of intelligence documents created during the Soviet collapse.
- History and Politics Out Loud
http://www.hpol.org/ - Includes links to selected Nixon Watergate tapes and transcripts. HPOL (History and Politics Out Loud – is funded by National Endowment for the Humanities, in partnership with Michigan State University) is a searchable archive of ‘politically significant audio materials for scholars, teachers and students’. This collection, which will increase, includes recordings and transcripts of Lyndon Johnson, JFK, RFK, Khrushchev, Martin Luther King, Churchill, as well as 34 records in the Nixon database, including key White House recordings (the ‘smoking gun’ and ‘cancer on the presidency’ tapes).
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE
- Searchmil
http://www.searchmil.com - Covers exclusively US military websites. Largest index of the .mil domain, with over a million web pages indexed.
- Intelligence Online
http://www.blythe.org/Intelligence - Online intelligence fortnightly, edited by Olivier Schmidt. Can join free mailing list for newsletter, available by email. Sample back issues and online intelligence books.
- Intelligence Forum
http://www.intelforum.org - ‘A forum dedicated to the scholarly study of intelligence and national security’, IF seeks to increase contact among those studying intelligence. Sponsored by Intelligence and National Security, a Frank Cass journal (www.frankcass.com/jnls/ins.htm). Includes free emailing list () ‘dedicated to the scholarly discussion of intelligence’ and archive (archive.his.com/ intelforum). eg Future of NSA (archive.his.com/intelforum/msg 03199. html) says the NSA ‘has got severe internal problems’ and is a failing organisation.
- Secrets, Spies and Whistleblowers
http://www.article19.org/docimages/791.htm - Published Nov 2000 by Article 19 and Liberty, this book is on the web in full. Particularly useful for journalists, it covers free expression; national security; legal restrictions on public employees’ freedom of expression; gagging the media; protection of sources, etc
- Flame
http://www.flamemag.dircon.co.uk/main_contents.htm - ‘Investigative journal dedicated to exposing the secret histories behind myths and ideologies.’ Subjects covered include political, historical, social, conspiracy, intelligence. All back issues and articles online, eg current politics, political prisoners, historical cover-ups, conspiracies. 3 issues/year. Good links page to papers and magazines, activist, anarchist, human rights, intelligence, environmental.
- Russian Intelligence Community
http://www.agentura.ru/english/ - Created by journalists in Russia to provide a forum for information on special forces, both Russian and worldwide, also technical equipment and satellites. See dossier (www.agentura.ru/english/dosie) for Russian special services – GRU, FSB, FAPSI etc Includes photos, addresses, structure, personnel.
- US Intelligence Community
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/indiv/dsc/intell.html - ‘Selected guide to resources at Columbia Univ libraries and on the internet for conducting research on US govt agencies involved in intelligence activities, the classification and declassification of govt docs related to intelligence activities, and FOIA requests.’ Large resource of intelligence-related info, including agencies – FBI, CIA, NSA, etc – bibliographies; intelligence reform; Congressional oversight; classified/declassified docs; FOIA; other web resources.
POLITICS AND FOI
- Washington Brief
http://www.wbrief.com - Editor Alan Simpson. Includes Intelligence Newswatch; intelligence bibliography; Spies Bookstore; NewsSearch facility; FAQ; Glossary; Good intelligence links.
- Bilderberg 2000
http://www.bilderberg.org/2000.htm - Report on the June 2000 meeting in Brussels; participant list, etc
- British Politics Pages
http://www.ukpol.co.uk - Massive archive with links to 2,500 political sites. Includes MP biographies; Parties; pressure groups; campaigns; agencies; Councils page; local election results; archive; UK politics newsgroups; links.
- LabourNet
http://www.labournet.org/ - International Labour Solidarity Website ‘promotes computer communications as a medium for building international labour solidarity’. Started Nov 1995 to support the sacked Liverpool dockers fight for reinstatement. International news on union/ worker disputes, actions and links.
- Campaign for Freedom of Information
http://www.cfoi.org.uk - Includes Campaign briefings on the FOI Bill which is expected to be enacted by Dec 2000 and still has significant deficiencies, especially the far-reaching blanket exemptions, which include all info which relates to the formulation or development of gov’t policy, including the factual info underlying decisions; eg on health hazards. The Information Commissioner could decide there is an overriding public interest in the release of info, but a Minister could still veto disclosure. Watch this site for up-to-date developments.
- Whistleblowing – A brief guide to leaking
http://www.homestead.com/whistleblower/ - How to leak safely; who to leak to; what to leak; passing on information safely; ethics of leaking (From appendix of Nicky Hager’s recent book, Secrets and Lies.)
- Government Accountability Project
http://www.whistleblower.org - Washington-based and US orientated guide to whistleblowing. Includes info on a controversial provision passed by US Congress in Oct 2000 ( in the Intelligence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2001, HR4392, see cryptome.org/hr4392.htm) vetoed by Clinton, which would have created a US version of the Official Secrets Act (www.whistleblower.org/www/specialaction.htm).
- Trident Ploughshares
http://www.gn.apc.org/tp2000/html/index2.htm - TP members pledge to disarm the UK Trident nuclear weapons system in a non-violent and accountable manner and believe the Trident system is illegal under international law. In Oct 1999 a Scottish sheriff court in Greenock accepted this argument when concluding that 3 women who had been charged with damaging a Trident-related research barge were justified in their actions, carried out in order to prevent a more serious crime. The case returned to the Edinburgh High Court in Oct/Nov 2000.