The United States federal government should cease its surveillance of foreign diplomats in the United States and at United States embassies
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***asia relschinaEmbassy surveillance allegations wreck Chinese relationsGMA News 13 (11/1, “China Demands Explanation From US Over Spying Programs”, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/333572/news/world/china-demands-us-explanation-over-spying-row)/cc China has demanded the United States provide an explanation over its spying program amid reports that Washington's missions in the country were involved, with state media on Friday urging the withdrawal of American agents. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, amplifying an earlier report by the German magazine Der Spiegel, said on Tuesday that a top-secret map leaked by fugitive intelligence analyst Edward Snowden showed 90 US surveillance facilities at embassies and consulates worldwide. The facilities in East Asia were focused on China, with centers in the US embassy in Beijing and US consulates in the commercial hub Shanghai and Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, it said. Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Thursday that Beijing had "severe concerns" about the reports. "We require the US to make a clarification and give an explanation," she told reporters at a regular briefing. "We require friendly diplomatic missions and personnel in China to strictly abide by international treaties... and do not engage in any activity that... may jeopardize China's security and interests." The defense ministry said that the revelation of the US eavesdropping program has "sounded alarm bells" in China. "We must continue to strengthen our information security work," ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters at a briefing on Thursday. The official China Daily on Friday urged Washington to recall its spies from the country, adding that their activities were "illegal in nature and not covered by diplomatic immunity". "To many Americans, we are at the very best a potential rival, if not an enemy, despite all the official rhetoric about partnership," it said in an editorial. "While the American intelligence system is given overwhelming authority to carry out surveillance operations at home under the US Patriot Act, this land is China," it said. Australian embassies were being secretly used to intercept phone calls and data across Asia as part of the US-led global spying network, the Sydney Morning Herald said. The US-led spying network has drawn fire from other Asian countries as the row spreads. Indonesia-Australia Row Indonesia on Friday summoned the Australian ambassador over the "totally unacceptable" activities. Jakarta has also protested strongly to the United States over reports Washington had been monitoring phone calls and communication networks from its embassy in the Indonesian capital. The Asia-Pacific dispute comes as a major row rumbles between Washington and several European countries over the scale and scope of US surveillance of its allies, which has seen accusations that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone was monitored for more than a decade. The Herald said Australia's top secret Defence Signals Directorate (DSD), which is at the forefront of cyber security intelligence, operates clandestine surveillance facilities at embassies without the knowledge of most Australian diplomats. "DSD is the most important of Australian intelligence agencies. It is involved in high-level technical cooperation with its American counterpart, the National Security Agency," said Richard Tanter, Senior Research Associate at the Nautilus laundry listChina, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia express outrage over NSA allegationsDoksone et al 13 (Thanyarat is an Associated Press Writer, 10/31, “China, other Asians angry over embassy spy reports”, http://news.yahoo.com/china-other-asians-angry-over-embassy-spy-reports-082021315.html)/cc SYDNEY (AP) China and Southeast Asian governments demanded an explanation from the U.S. and its allies on Thursday following media reports that American and Australian embassies in the region were being used as hubs for Washington"s secret electronic data collection program. The reports come amid an international outcry over allegations the U.S. has spied on the telephone communications of as many as 35 foreign leaders. A document from National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, published this week by German magazine Der Spiegel, describes a signals intelligence program called "Stateroom" in which U.S., British, Australian and Canadian embassies secretly house surveillance equipment to collect electronic communications. Those countries, along with New Zealand, have an intelligence-sharing agreement known as "Five Eyes." "China is severely concerned about the reports, and demands a clarification and explanation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. Australia"s Fairfax media reported Thursday that the Australian embassies involved are in Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing and Dili in East Timor; and High Commissions in Kuala Lumpur and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The Fairfax report, based on the Der Spiegel document and an interview with an anonymous former intelligence officer, said those embassies are being used to intercept phone calls and internet data across Asia. In a statement, Indonesia"s Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said his government "cannot accept and strongly protests the news of the existence of wiretapping facilities at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta." "It should be emphasized that if confirmed, such action is not only a breach of security, but also a serious breach of diplomatic norms and ethics, and certainly not in tune with the spirit of friendly relations between nations," he said. The Snowden document said the surveillance equipment is concealed, including antennas that are "sometimes hidden in false architectural features or roof maintenance sheds." Des Ball, a top Australian intelligence expert, told The Associated Press he had personally seen covert antennas in five of the embassies named in the Fairfax report. He declined to go into further detail or specify which embassies those were. But Ball said what Der Spiegel has revealed is hardly surprising or uncommon. Many countries have routinely used embassies as bases to covertly listen in on phone calls, and reports of such surveillance have been public for decades, he said. "We use embassies to pick up stuff that we can"t pick up from ground stations here in Australia and lots of countries do that," said Ball, a professor with the Australian National University"s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre. According to the Snowden document, the spying sites are small in size and staff. "They are covert, and their true mission is not known by the majority of the diplomatic staff at the facility where they are assigned," it said. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to comment on the reports. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said only that the government had not broken any laws. "Every Australian governmental agency, every Australian official, at home and abroad, operates in accordance with the law," Abbott told reporters. "And that"s the assurance that I can give people." Still, there was predictable outrage in the countries named in the document. Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his government viewed the allegations as a serious matter and would investigate whether the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was being used for spying. The country"s opposition party issued a statement Thursday urging the Malaysian government to lodge a protest with both the U.S. and Australian embassies. Thailand"s National Security Council Secretary-General, Lt. Gen. Paradorn Pattanathabutr, said the government told the U.S. that spying was a crime under Thai laws, and that Thailand would not cooperate if asked to help eavesdrop. Asked about the Australian embassy allegations, he said Australians are not capable of doing such sophisticated surveillance work. "When it comes to technology and mechanics, the U.S. is more resourceful and more advanced than Australia," he said. "So I can say that it is not true that the Australian embassy will be used as a communications hub for spying." Directory: file -> view view -> Western Europe after wwii view -> Author study: paul fleischman view -> Qpa1 7ela study Guide view -> Arctic Oil/Gas Neg view -> November 1970 Approximately 150,000-500,000 deaths Bhola Cyclone Bangladesh view -> Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Caribbean glce view -> Citation: Duffield, Katy view -> Table of Contents Lesson # view -> Chinese Wind Energy Disad Download 0.83 Mb. Share with your friends:
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