|
|
|
Words
in the News |
|
INTRO
|
|
A
European Parliament committee is worried about Britain's involvement
in "Echelon", a global spy network. The BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent,
Barnaby Mason reports. |
|
IN
FULL
|
|
 |
Listen
to the report in full |
|
 |
30th
May 2001
Echelon
spy network
|
|
|
NEWS
1
|
|
|
Listen
to the first part of the report |
| |
|
The
intimate co-operation on intelligence gathering between the
United States and Britain goes back to the Second World War. Official
information is hard to come by, but the Echelon network of
spy satellites and listening stations on the ground, at sea
and in the air is operated by the American National Security Agency.
Its partners are the British electronic eavesdropping organisation
GCHQ and equivalent bodies in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Together
they intercept millions of telephone calls, emails and faxes,
and with special software, searching for key words and numbers, attempt
to identify threats from terrorists, arms proliferators and
so on. Clearly business communications are among those overheard,
but the European Parliament committee cannot prove the suspicion that
the commercial secrets of European companies are improperly passed
on, for example, to their American or British rivals. |
| |
|
|
Listen
to the words |
|
WORDS
|
|
intelligence
gathering - the collecting of information about enemies or rivals
by an organisation or government
is hard to come by - is difficult to get or find
listening station - a place where communications (telephone
calls or conversations) can be monitored in secret
eavesdrop - If you eavesdrop on someone you listen secretly
to what they are saying
to intercept - if you intercept something you stop it before
it reaches its destination
arms proliferators - people who deal in the sale of weapons
and arms. If things proliferate they increase in number
|
|
| NEWS
2 |
|
|
Listen
to the second part of the report |
| |
|
The
powers of the Echelon network are probably exaggerated in some media
reports. Satellite communications can be intercepted but not those
travelling along fibre-optic and other cables. The
explosion of digital communications and the development of encryption
or encoding software have made the job of the eavesdroppers much
more difficult. One recommendation of the parliamentary committee
is that businesses should routinely encrypt their emails. But the
political issues are awkward, especially for Britain. Britain
alone among European Union member states has privileged access to
American intelligence information. Echelon focuses attention on whether
Britain will eventually have to choose between Europe and America.
|
| |
|
|
Listen
to the words |
| WORDS |
|
fibre
optic cables - fibreoptic cables use long thin threads of glass
to carry information in the form of light
the explosion of - the large and rapid increase of something
encryption or encoding software - computer programmes which
prevent communications (email, telephone calls) from being accessed
by unauthorised people
awkward - an awkward situation is embarrassing and difficult
to deal with
|
|
| |
|
Read
about the background in BBC News Online |
|
|
