US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war...

Dreamer128 · 03-02-2003, 02:13 PM

Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war

Secret document details American plan to bug phones and emails of key Security Council members

Martin Bright, Ed Vulliamy in New York and Peter Beaumont
Sunday March 2, 2003
The Observer [http://www.observer.co.uk/iraq/story...05936,00.html]

The United States is conducting a secret 'dirty tricks' campaign against UN Security Council delegations in New York as part of its battle to win votes in favour of war against Iraq.
Details of the aggressive surveillance operation, which involves interception of the home and office telephones and the emails of UN delegates in New York, are revealed in a document leaked to The Observer.

The disclosures were made in a memorandum written by a top official at the National Security Agency - the US body which intercepts communications around the world - and circulated to both senior agents in his organisation and to a friendly foreign intelligence agency asking for its input.

The memo describes orders to staff at the agency, whose work is clouded in secrecy, to step up its surveillance operations 'particularly directed at... UN Security Council Members (minus US and GBR, of course)' to provide up-to-the-minute intelligence for Bush officials on the voting intentions of UN members regarding the issue of Iraq.

The leaked memorandum makes clear that the target of the heightened surveillance efforts are the delegations from Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Mexico, Guinea and Pakistan at the UN headquarters in New York - the so-called 'Middle Six' delegations whose votes are being fought over by the pro-war party, led by the US and Britain, and the party arguing for more time for UN inspections, led by France, China and Russia.

The memo is directed at senior NSA officials and advises them that the agency is 'mounting a surge' aimed at gleaning information not only on how delegations on the Security Council will vote on any second resolution on Iraq, but also 'policies', 'negotiating positions', 'alliances' and 'dependencies' - the 'whole gamut of information that could give US policymakers an edge in obtaining results favourable to US goals or to head off surprises'.

Dated 31 January 2003, the memo was circulated four days after the UN's chief weapons inspector Hans Blix produced his interim report on Iraqi compliance with UN resolution 1441.

It was sent by Frank Koza, chief of staff in the 'Regional Targets' section of the NSA, which spies on countries that are viewed as strategically important for United States interests.

Koza specifies that the information will be used for the US's 'QRC' - Quick Response Capability - 'against' the key delegations.

Suggesting the levels of surveillance of both the office and home phones of UN delegation members, Koza also asks regional managers to make sure that their staff also 'pay attention to existing non-UN Security Council Member UN-related and domestic comms [office and home telephones] for anything useful related to Security Council deliberations'.

Koza also addresses himself to the foreign agency, saying: 'We'd appreciate your support in getting the word to your analysts who might have similar more indirect access to valuable information from accesses in your product lines [ie, intelligence sources].' Koza makes clear it is an informal request at this juncture, but adds: 'I suspect that you'll be hearing more along these lines in formal channels.'

Disclosure of the US operation comes in the week that Blix will make what many expect to be his final report to the Security Council.

It also comes amid increasingly threatening noises from the US towards undecided countries on the Security Council who have been warned of the unpleasant economic consequences of standing up to the US.

Sources in Washington familiar with the operation said last week that there had been a division among Bush administration officials over whether to pursue such a high-intensity surveillance campaign with some warning of the serious consequences of discovery.

The existence of the surveillance operation, understood to have been requested by President Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is deeply embarrassing to the Americans in the middle of their efforts to win over the undecided delegations.

The language and content of the memo were judged to be authentic by three former intelligence operatives shown it by The Observer. We were also able to establish that Frank Koza does work for the NSA and could confirm his senior post in the Regional Targets section of the organisation.

The NSA main switchboard put The Observer through to extension 6727 at the agency which was answered by an assistant, who confirmed it was Koza's office. However, when The Observer asked to talk to Koza about the surveillance of diplomatic missions at the United Nations, it was then told 'You have reached the wrong number'.

On protesting that the assistant had just said this was Koza's extension, the assistant repeated that it was an erroneous extension, and hung up.

While many diplomats at the UN assume they are being bugged, the memo reveals for the first time the scope and scale of US communications intercepts targeted against the New York-based missions.

The disclosure comes at a time when diplomats from the countries have been complaining about the outright 'hostility' of US tactics in recent days to persuade then to fall in line, including threats to economic and aid packages.

The operation appears to have been spotted by rival organisations in Europe. 'The Americans are being very purposeful about this,' said a source at a European intelligence agency when asked about the US surveillance efforts.

Mojo · 03-02-2003, 02:25 PM

It's this kinda thing that makes you wonder who the real bad guys are...

Ronn_Bman · 03-02-2003, 02:40 PM

Inappropriate US surveillance is obviously a much worse crime than anything ever done by anyone else anywhere in the world. How dare we!

The story makes it pretty obvious that the US is the bad guy, so I'll go ahead and admit that we are now and always have been the bad guys. The Soviets worked with us for decades to cover up this fact before they closed up shop. Giving away lots of food, money, and protection helped hide this for us, too, but since the Soviets gave up the charade, it's just been too hard to keep up the pretense, so we're going to drop it completely now. A list of nations to be invaded will be issued tomorrow, so keep an eye out for it.

On a serious note, does anyone here honestly believe their nation doesn't use surveillance against other nations?

[ 03-02-2003, 03:21 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

Mojo · 03-02-2003, 02:53 PM

I didn't mean any offence, although it was a slightly ambiguous comment... I apologise...

I meant more along the lines of, why does America want this war so badly? There are many theories about this, but what's America's actual reason?

Dreamer128 · 03-02-2003, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ronn_Bman:

On a serious note, does anyone here honestly believe their nation doesn't use surveillance against other nations?

*raises his hand
We don't have much to spy with anyway

johnny · 03-02-2003, 02:55 PM

LOL Ronn, that's an amazing story, i never knew all that.

Mouse · 03-02-2003, 03:06 PM

This really belongs in the War Forum, so that's where I'm sending it

Ronn_Bman · 03-02-2003, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dreamer128:

Quote:
Originally posted by Ronn_Bman:

On a serious note, does anyone here honestly believe their nation doesn't use surveillance against other nations?

*raises his hand
We don't have much to spy with anyway [/QUOTE]Whatever your nation does have, it uses to keep up with things vital to your nation's interests.

[img]smile.gif[/img]

Ronn_Bman · 03-02-2003, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mojo:
I didn't mean any offence, although it was a slightly ambiguous comment... I apologise...

I meant more along the lines of, why does America want this war so badly? There are many theories about this, but what's America's actual reason?

NP Mojo! Stop by the War Forum, and you'll hear both sides.

Dreamer128 · 03-02-2003, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ronn_Bman:
Whatever your nation does have, it uses to keep up with things vital to your nation's interests. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Actually, we have the US for that [img]tongue.gif[/img]

03-02-2003, 02:25 PM	#2
Mojo Elminster Join Date: July 17, 2002 Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK Age: 38 Posts: 451	It's this kinda thing that makes you wonder who the real bad guys are... __________________ Say No to Cosmetics Control! And the Trouser Tyranny!<br /><br />Like Final Fantasy? -[url]\"http://forums.ragnarokextreme.net\" target=\"_blank\">Ragnarok Extreme Forums</a>!!

03-02-2003, 02:40 PM	#3
Ronn_Bman Zartan Join Date: March 11, 2001 Location: North Carolina USA Age: 58 Posts: 5,177	Inappropriate US surveillance is obviously a much worse crime than anything ever done by anyone else anywhere in the world. How dare we! The story makes it pretty obvious that the US is the bad guy, so I'll go ahead and admit that we are now and always have been the bad guys. The Soviets worked with us for decades to cover up this fact before they closed up shop. Giving away lots of food, money, and protection helped hide this for us, too, but since the Soviets gave up the charade, it's just been too hard to keep up the pretense, so we're going to drop it completely now. A list of nations to be invaded will be issued tomorrow, so keep an eye out for it. On a serious note, does anyone here honestly believe their nation doesn't use surveillance against other nations? [ 03-02-2003, 03:21 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ] __________________ [img]\"http://home.carolina.rr.com/orthanc/pics/Spinning%20Hammer%20Sig%20Pic.gif\" alt=\" - \" />

03-02-2003, 02:53 PM	#4
Mojo Elminster Join Date: July 17, 2002 Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK Age: 38 Posts: 451	I didn't mean any offence, although it was a slightly ambiguous comment... I apologise... I meant more along the lines of, why does America want this war so badly? There are many theories about this, but what's America's actual reason? __________________ Say No to Cosmetics Control! And the Trouser Tyranny!<br /><br />Like Final Fantasy? -[url]\"http://forums.ragnarokextreme.net\" target=\"_blank\">Ragnarok Extreme Forums</a>!!

03-02-2003, 02:55 PM	#6
johnny 40th Level Warrior Join Date: April 15, 2002 Location: Utrecht The Netherlands Age: 59 Posts: 16,981	LOL Ronn, that's an amazing story, i never knew all that. __________________

03-02-2003, 03:06 PM	#7
Mouse Ironworks Moderator Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Scotland Posts: 2,788	This really belongs in the War Forum, so that's where I'm sending it __________________ Regards Mouse (Occasional crooner and all round friendly Scottish rodent)

03-02-2003, 02:13 PM	#1
Dreamer128 Dracolisk Join Date: March 21, 2001 Location: Europe Age: 40 Posts: 6,136	Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war Secret document details American plan to bug phones and emails of key Security Council members Martin Bright, Ed Vulliamy in New York and Peter Beaumont Sunday March 2, 2003 The Observer [http://www.observer.co.uk/iraq/story...05936,00.html] The United States is conducting a secret 'dirty tricks' campaign against UN Security Council delegations in New York as part of its battle to win votes in favour of war against Iraq. Details of the aggressive surveillance operation, which involves interception of the home and office telephones and the emails of UN delegates in New York, are revealed in a document leaked to The Observer. The disclosures were made in a memorandum written by a top official at the National Security Agency - the US body which intercepts communications around the world - and circulated to both senior agents in his organisation and to a friendly foreign intelligence agency asking for its input. The memo describes orders to staff at the agency, whose work is clouded in secrecy, to step up its surveillance operations 'particularly directed at... UN Security Council Members (minus US and GBR, of course)' to provide up-to-the-minute intelligence for Bush officials on the voting intentions of UN members regarding the issue of Iraq. The leaked memorandum makes clear that the target of the heightened surveillance efforts are the delegations from Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Mexico, Guinea and Pakistan at the UN headquarters in New York - the so-called 'Middle Six' delegations whose votes are being fought over by the pro-war party, led by the US and Britain, and the party arguing for more time for UN inspections, led by France, China and Russia. The memo is directed at senior NSA officials and advises them that the agency is 'mounting a surge' aimed at gleaning information not only on how delegations on the Security Council will vote on any second resolution on Iraq, but also 'policies', 'negotiating positions', 'alliances' and 'dependencies' - the 'whole gamut of information that could give US policymakers an edge in obtaining results favourable to US goals or to head off surprises'. Dated 31 January 2003, the memo was circulated four days after the UN's chief weapons inspector Hans Blix produced his interim report on Iraqi compliance with UN resolution 1441. It was sent by Frank Koza, chief of staff in the 'Regional Targets' section of the NSA, which spies on countries that are viewed as strategically important for United States interests. Koza specifies that the information will be used for the US's 'QRC' - Quick Response Capability - 'against' the key delegations. Suggesting the levels of surveillance of both the office and home phones of UN delegation members, Koza also asks regional managers to make sure that their staff also 'pay attention to existing non-UN Security Council Member UN-related and domestic comms [office and home telephones] for anything useful related to Security Council deliberations'. Koza also addresses himself to the foreign agency, saying: 'We'd appreciate your support in getting the word to your analysts who might have similar more indirect access to valuable information from accesses in your product lines [ie, intelligence sources].' Koza makes clear it is an informal request at this juncture, but adds: 'I suspect that you'll be hearing more along these lines in formal channels.' Disclosure of the US operation comes in the week that Blix will make what many expect to be his final report to the Security Council. It also comes amid increasingly threatening noises from the US towards undecided countries on the Security Council who have been warned of the unpleasant economic consequences of standing up to the US. Sources in Washington familiar with the operation said last week that there had been a division among Bush administration officials over whether to pursue such a high-intensity surveillance campaign with some warning of the serious consequences of discovery. The existence of the surveillance operation, understood to have been requested by President Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is deeply embarrassing to the Americans in the middle of their efforts to win over the undecided delegations. The language and content of the memo were judged to be authentic by three former intelligence operatives shown it by The Observer. We were also able to establish that Frank Koza does work for the NSA and could confirm his senior post in the Regional Targets section of the organisation. The NSA main switchboard put The Observer through to extension 6727 at the agency which was answered by an assistant, who confirmed it was Koza's office. However, when The Observer asked to talk to Koza about the surveillance of diplomatic missions at the United Nations, it was then told 'You have reached the wrong number'. On protesting that the assistant had just said this was Koza's extension, the assistant repeated that it was an erroneous extension, and hung up. While many diplomats at the UN assume they are being bugged, the memo reveals for the first time the scope and scale of US communications intercepts targeted against the New York-based missions. The disclosure comes at a time when diplomats from the countries have been complaining about the outright 'hostility' of US tactics in recent days to persuade then to fall in line, including threats to economic and aid packages. The operation appears to have been spotted by rival organisations in Europe. 'The Americans are being very purposeful about this,' said a source at a European intelligence agency when asked about the US surveillance efforts.

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