********** In response to: http://www.politechbot.com/p-02078.html ********** From: "Baker, Stewart" <SBakerat_private> To: "'declanat_private'" <declanat_private> cc: "Albertazzie, Sally" <SAlbertazzieat_private> Subject: RE: More on Echelon, intercepts, and a quick history lesson Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 12:10:43 -0400 Declan, Jonathan is right, your rant notwithstanding. The people who choose careers in national security do it mainly for reasons of patriotism, and certainly not so they can be part of a patronage machine. Such a use of intelligence would be reported quickly to Congressional oversight bodies that have often been in the hands of the opposition party. To do corporate espionage, there would have to be an intimate relationship between intelligence agencies and the US corporate sector, a relationship of a kind that has never existed in our country. Since such relationships do exist in other countries, though, including some European countries, it's easy to see why Europeans keep suspecting the US of corporate espionage. Of course, that also suggests that at least some European intelligence agencies are doing corporate espionage -- against both the US and their fellow EU members. Remarkably, given all the handwaving in this report about the risk of US corporate espionage, the report says little or nothing about the risk that some EU members are spying on corporations from other EU members. Since that's a problem the European Parliament actually could do something about fairly efficiently, the determined focus on US capabilities suggests that this effort is more about disrupting the US-UK intelligence relationship than about the problem of corporate espionage. Stewart Baker Steptoe & Johnson LLP 1330 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20036 phone -- 202.429.6413 email fax -- 202.261.9825 main fax -- 202.429.3902 sbakerat_private ********** To: jonathan.winklerat_private cc: declanat_private, duncanat_private Subject: Re: FC: More on Echelon, intercepts, and a quick history lesson In-reply-to: Your message of "Wed, 30 May 2001 10:07:37 EDT." <5.0.2.1.0.20010529122647.020d3b00at_private> Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 16:10:40 +0100 From: Ian BROWN <I.Brownat_private> You wrote: >it would seem to be all >but impossible for a US (or UK, in the earlier case) government agency >to come up with a way to distribute the corporate intelligence equitably >to the beneficiary companies. If, for example, the US learned a French >firm were going to bid low on an important contract, how on earth would >it decide which US firm to provide the information to without the others >spilling the beans? Declan replied: >I respectfully disagree with Jonathan's position, at least as I understand >it. Much has changed since the early 1900s, and the executive branch now is >entirely capable of picking corporate favorites in the marketplace... > >I admit that the NSA has a far greater interest in keeping its sources >secret than the White House does in rewarding donors. And I have not seen >reliable evidence showing Echelon intercepts are used in this manner. The procedures for deidentifying and routing intelligence to commercial companies seem to be substantially in place... From: "Armin Medosch" <arminat_private> To: nettime-lat_private Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 12:32:06 +0200 Subject: <nettime> Echelon: new documents on economic espionage and human rights ... Four new studies on "Interception Capabilities - Impact and Exploitation" were commissioned by the Temporary Committee on the Echelon Interception System of the European Parliament in December 2000. They cover the use of communications intelligence (COMINT) for economic purposes, legal and human rights issues, and recent political and technological developments. Among the key topics covered are the documentary and factual evidence for the existence of the COMSAT (communications satellite) intercept system known as "ECHELON". These studies were presented to the Echelon Committee at its Brussels meeting on 22 and 23 January 2001... IC2001, paper 2: COMINT impact on international trade http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/special/ech/7752/1.html Paper 2 sets out, with detailed sources, the case that from 1992 to date Europe is likely to have sustained significant employment and financial loss as a result of the U.S. government policy of "levelling the playing field", introduced in 1991. It also refers to: Annexe 2-1 Background papers about the U.S. Trade Promotion Co-ordinating Committee (TPCC) and the Advocacy Center, including statements of purpose http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/special/ech/7743/1.html Annexe 2-2 A questionaire for U.S. companies to answer in order to determine whether or not they are deemed "American" and thus qualify for official assistance. http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/special/ech/7744/1.html The questionnaire is also on the internet http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/advocacy/question.htm Annexe 2-3 Documents revealing the CIA's role in U.S. trade promotion, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/special/ech/7749/1.html -- "Nobody wants to type in a credit card number without getting something you can hold in your hand. Otherwise, porn wouldn't be the only really profitable e-commerce model." --suck.com ********** From: "Armin Medosch" <arminat_private> To: declanat_private Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 18:06:32 +0200 Subject: Re: FC: More on Echelon, intercepts, and a quick history lesson Reply-to: arminat_private In-reply-to: <5.0.2.1.0.20010529122647.020d3b00at_private> On 30 May 01, at 10:07, Declan McCullagh wrote: > What David and I agreed upon, however, was that it would seem to be all > but impossible for a US (or UK, in the earlier case) government agency > to come up with a way to distribute the corporate intelligence equitably > to the beneficiary companies. Its not that difficult. The Clinton administration created the trade promotion co-ordinating comitee and the advocacy center. Look at http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/7753/1.html yours Armin ********** ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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