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                Date: 2001-07-11
                 
                 
                Ueber die Qualitaet von ECHELON
                
                 
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      John Young, Dokumentarist des Gemein/gefährlichen, kryptischen,  
Geheimen & sonstwie Dienstlichen über die Unter- bzw.  
Überschätzung von ECHELON und die Vernachlässigung all der  
anderen Systeme, die weit moderner sind.  
 
http://cryptome.org
                   
 
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relayed via ukcrypto 
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Echelon is one of an unknown number of global surveillance  
programs, as the earliest reports on Echelon obeserved. The undue  
exaggeration of Echelon has obscured attention to the other  
programs, again as knowledgeable reporters have repeatedly  
stated. 
 
I understand that attempts to get the EuroParl Echelon committee  
to investigate the full range of survelliance programs, and not limit  
its inquiry to Echelon, was stymied by a willful determination not to  
look at the comprehensive apparatus, to restrict the investigation to  
what was publicly known already. The report released in May  
manages to continue diverting attention from the other programs  
while accurately and redundantly protraying Echelon as less than  
its exaggeration. 
 
To be sure, these other programs are classified and are not likely  
to be exposed by any party which is officially informed about them  
and thereby sworn to secrecy, aa no doubt was some or all of the  
EP committee. It is probable that some classified briefings were  
given to the committee members who came to the US and then  
claimed they were rebuffed. 
 
Duncan Campbell and Nicky Hager, among others, have described  
the fuller range of programs and in some cases provided  
codenames and technical features. 
 
The Echelon word has served quite well to dazzle, perhaps blind to  
closer investigation and public revelation. And there is now a willful  
attempt to emphasize -- as with the title of this thread -- to  
proclaim the investigation to end with a whimper when what has  
occurred is a successful disinformation and defusing campaign. 
 
I spoke to the Wired reporter who wrote the story which started this  
thread and had to fight off his aggressive charge that Echelon had  
turned out to be less than expected and didn't I agree that was the  
case. No, I said, 
 I do not agree. He repeated his demand that I agree the program had been exaggerated. I said I agreed that there had been exaggeration but not by knowledgeable reporters, but only by those who failed to do original inves 
tigation into global surveillance and merely recycled lurid tidbits of speculation. 
 
I complimented the EP committee for making a helpful contribution to broading public understanding of unrestrained global surveillance, but that it was irresponsible to look only at Echelon and not the gamut of programs o 
perated by a slew of international spooks -- government, business and individuals -- well beyond what is commonly reported. I suggested the committee probably had learned enough, or already knew enough, about the other go 
vernment programs to affirm the policy of keeping secrets out of public sight. 
 
No, repeat, no, public committee will ever report fully on  
governmental global surveillance. At best, reports will affirm what  
has been reported by journalists and "disruntled" former spooks --  
and the counter campaigns to disinform and defuse by the gov-biz- 
personal spook industry. 
 
The crypto angle of this is that one might rightfully suspect that  
benefits and dangers of encryption have been as exaggerated as  
Echelon for similar purposes -- to divert attention from far greater  
threats. 
 
Presumably Silent Runner is a tip of those, but it is known by  
name if not capability. And one characteristic of effective  
disinformation is to tease, taunt and disparage any accurate finding. 
 
 
 
 
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edited by Harkank 
published on: 2001-07-11 
comments to office@quintessenz.at
                   
                  
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