Signals intelligence is being used "to collect personal information about
American citizens and proprietary information about U.S. corporations."

More Echelon paranoia?  No.  But in a mirror-image of the European debate
over Echelon, leading members of Congress warned on Wednesday that a
Russian intelligence facility in Lourdes, Cuba is being used to violate
Americans' privacy and to steal U.S. commercial secrets.

"I wonder how many Americans are aware that the Russians are operating an
electronic spy center in our own backyard violating the very privacy of
communications in our Nation each and every day," said Rep. Benjamin Gilman
(R-NY).

"The vast signal intelligence facilities operated near Lourdes by Havana's
and Moscow's intelligence services, permit the wholesale collection of
sensitive United States military, diplomatic, and commercial data, and the
invasion of millions of Americans' privacy," said Rep. Diaz-Balart (R-Florida).

"Nobody wants Big Brother reading their mail or looking over their shoulder
or spying at them especially when Big Brother is not American" said Rep.
Goss, who also stated that the Russians are collecting "personal
information about American citizens."

The debate occurred during consideration of a bill (H.R. 4118) that would
prohibit any rescheduling of Russian debt payments unless and until the
President certifies that the signals intelligence facility at Lourdes has
been shut down.  The bill was passed in the House by 275-146.  The July 19
floor debate is posted here:

        http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2000_cr/h071900.html

In a Statement of Administration Position, the Clinton Administration
argued against the bill:

"We share congressional concerns about the Lourdes facility and its
intelligence collection activities. However, this legislation is not likely
to be an effective lever on Russian actions. The United States, like
Russia, maintains a number of signals intelligence facilities around the
world.  One important function of such facilities for both countries is to
collect information to verify arms control agreements.  Successive
administrations have steadfastly resisted attempts to define national
technical means of verification or to circumscribe the location and use of
such systems.  Such a hindrance would run counter to fundamental U.S.
national security interests and, in particular, to their ability to conduct
arms verification.  Legislation like this bill may rebound adversely to the
United States by inviting Russia and other countries to pursue similar
charges against U.S. facilities they characterize as
threatening.  Additional explanation or information relating to facilities
such as Lourdes can be provided in classified briefings."

At the same time that Congress is raising new questions about the "ethics"
of intelligence collection, it is preparing to exempt U.S. intelligence
agencies from treaty obligations and international agreements, as
previously discussed here:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/bulletin/sec84.html

(To "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" to these occasional notices from the FAS
Project on Government Secrecy, send email to [log in to unmask]).

___________________
Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
http://www.fas.org/sgp/index.html