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New Snowden Leaks Reveal More About NSA Satellite Eavesdropping (theverge.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Newly published documents from Edward Snowden have shed more light on American surveillance operations in the UK. The Intercept details how the NSA and GCHQ used information gathered by Menwith Hill Station, a massive but tightly sealed facility that intercepts satellite data transmissions worldwide. Among other things, the files appear to include evidence that links UK-based surveillance to American anti-terrorism campaigns outside official combat zones. While many surveillance efforts focus on the internet's connective "backbone" cables, Menwith Hill intercepts wireless signals, using an array of antennae and U.S. government satellites to capture up to 335 million pieces of metadata in a 12-hour period. Previous reports -- including an earlier Snowden leak -- have already revealed some of its capabilities. But The Intercept includes more details, particularly about the UK's involvement in "capture-kill" operations against suspected terrorists. It describes how the GHOSTHUNTER program traced the location of targets "when they log onto the internet," often in internet cafes. A different program called GHOSTWOLF, which let the NSA and GCHQ monitor traffic from Yemeni internet cafes, is part of a plan to "capture or eliminate key nodes in terrorist networks" by tracking their locations. This leak fuels existing suspicions that the UK's role in American covert drone strikes is greater than it admits -- potentially implicating it in the civilian deaths that have resulted. GCHQ told The Intercept that all its work "is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework," and "is entirely compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights."
"is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework," and "is entirely compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights."
1: No one believes that.
2: You voted to leave the EU. Why even pretend at this point?
"is entirely compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights."
I like how they said "compatible" and not "compliant". How clever.
Of course you did, it says so right here in the massive surveillance server farm that tracked your actions to do so. Seriously though, this is why encryption is so important. All throughout history, you can find examples of excessive government overreach and oppression. How can we in this world not value a right to be private amongst ourselves without massive public backlash? How has it come to the point where it just ends up being brushed off as "oh right, more tin-foil hat jokes, we knew the whole time how bad we have it"?
I believe in the 4th amendment, in principle and in practice, I think it is absolutely necessary in this age of information overload. The government should be spending those dollars on trying to catch the pricks who mean to do it harm, and not drag netting all over our inherent rights. Things have clearly gotten out of hand.
Sure, a place where journalists investigating corrupt politicians are regularly murdered. It's so common there's even a Wiki page for it. Not so many whistleblowers East of the Dnieper, then.
So you know, why don't you go and get your fucking shoe shine box?
Or, you might want to be more concerned about Obama's drone program that has murdered countless civilians, and maybe a few terrorists.
Your choice, amigo.
"No. Snowden deliberately dumped these documents. You don't get out of murder charges when you hire the hitman."
What a strained analogy that is.
If you report (and provide proof) of government corruption, overreach, and general malfeasance to the legitimate press; and the press sorts thorugh it, verifies it, and determines what is newsworthy and publishable... that is an important function of the press.
Snowden definitely broke the law taking the information, but I think he should be pardoned.
But holding him responsible for what the press does is as ridiculous as holding you responsible for someone the police kill after you report a crime to them.
a) its not automatically a crime when the police kill someone.
b) even when the police are in the wrong, its STILL not your fault for reporting the original crime to the police.
The massive prick is holed up in Russia. He really needs to get a sense of perspective.
He is "holed up in Russia" because the United States government decided to revoke his passport and trap him in the Moscow airport. It wasn't his intention to stay in Russia.
I'm always amazed when people are quick to demonize Snowden for breaking laws but defend what he exposed: Massive government corruption and disregard for the law.
1: The ECHR is not related to the EU
2: It probably is compatible because the base is regarded as US Sovereign territory and what goes on there is technically not subject to British control similar to a foreign embassy. Hence it is compatible but not necessarily compliant.
In fact I grew up in Harrogate and have actually been on to the Menwith Hill base when I was a school kid for a party. They were extremely hospitable and even gave us Coca Cola imported from the US. At the time none of us British kids could understand why US coke tasted so bad compared to British coke and it was not until I was living the US ~10 years later that I heard of the "New Coke" debacle.
Spying is what governments do. Domestic spying by the intelligence services is a good thing.
Domestic spying breeds corruption and isn't a legitimate activity. Hence the reason it's illegal.
Spying has stopped acts of terrorism on US soil.
Meanwhile a 9/11 load of people are murdered in the US each and every quarter like clockwork.
If you are a Muslim, you especially want the government spying on Muslim activities. The last time the US government did not do it's job and spy on Muslims was 911.
60 9/11's worth of murders have occurred since then in this country. Why exactly should everyone give up their rights and privacy in the name of a single outlier event given they are more likely to be murdered by a non-terrorist, killed in a car accident or falling in their own homes?
As a result of that mistake the US government with the support of the U.S. populace destroyed Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United States (we went bankrupt fighting a war on a tactic) The USA overreacts when bad things happen on USAian soil, and we go after people who had nothing to do with the act.
LOL the terrorists made us do it. The terrorists made Bush invade Iraq and the terrorists made the "Intelligence" community make up a bunch of bullshit it's own people with intimate domain knowledge didn't even believe themselves as a pretext for war.
I do not want to get in any more wars. This is why I support the NSA / CIA / whatever spying on and killing anyone who would want to commit an act of terrorism.
The terrorists made us do it... kill them all and then we won't do stupid shit anymore. I promise. Never mind bush already looking for whatever pretext he could to get revenge for the attempt on his daddy. The terrorists MADE US DO IT.
But if you really think Snowden is some kind of hero, you should move to some country where they support heros and never spy.
What Snowden did was expose/confirm illegal activities conducted against everyone who has ever used a phone in this country. I'd be willing to entertain your bullshit about the NSA for a few milliseconds at least when someone from NSA goes to jail.
He didn't expect to get stuck in Russia. Then again, at least he is mostly safe from the US there. They are unlikely to try kidnapping him or drone launched Hellfire missiles while Russia is watching.
It's hard to think of a much better place. US kidnappings have happened in Europe, sometimes thwarted by the local security services and sometimes not. Iceland might be good if security could be guaranteed.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC