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THE MENWITH HILL SITE |
 MENWITH HILL- ECHELON [ 12 ] |
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Prior to extensive automation, sorting of messages was carried out by reference to a list of targets, known as a "watch list". In
the last decade, this list has evolved into a system called project ECHELON
which was developed and operated on behalf of the United States and its partners in the UKUSA
intelligence alliance (Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand). In this system computers, known as DICTIONARY
are used to select messages which may include combinations of specific names, dates, places, subjects etc. DICTIONARY automatically searches through intercepted messages looking for
particular subjects and people from target lists. Those matching particular criteria are sent for further processing by analysts. Key words for message interception are numerically coded and
include diplomatic messages as well as regional communications.
ECHELON was first revealed by Duncan Campbell in 1988 in a New Statesman article [ 13 ] and detailed in "Secret Power" by Nicky Hagar in 1996 [ 14 ]. The existence of the Echelon system has been officially confirmed in a report commissioned by the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament [ 15 ]. |
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Of course, the US is not the only country to electronically eavesdrop, in the UK the newly opened Government Technical Assistance Centre (GTAC
) is operating from inside MI5's headquarters at Thames House, Millbank. Here, codes used for private email or to protect files on personal computers are broken. It will also receive and
hold private keys under the RIP (Regulation of Investigatory Powers) Act [
17
].
For more information on ECHELON and the efforts to uncover the activities at Menwith Hill - see "The European Parliament Investigates ..." |
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"No-one concerned about civil liberties can ignore Menwith Hill. Despite many attempts to get answers to questions, it is quite clear that Menwith
Hill is not accountable to MPs and therefore not to the British people"
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