Printed in Ekstra Bladet 21. march 2000
IS THERE A SPY ON THE LINE?
Ex-spy meets his victim: Ekstra Bladet sets up a meeting between former
Echelon spy Fred Stock and the secretary-general for Denmark's Amnesty
organization. Amnesty is concerned.
Echelon is monitoring and spying on Amnesty International, according to
what former Canadian Echelon agent Fred Stock tells Ekstra Bladet. The
illegal surveillance and spying has been going on for years, and countless
reports on Amnesty are circulating in the global espionage network.
Thursday afternoon, ex-spy Fred Stock had a personal opportunity
to elaborate on the illegal surveillance to Amnesty International.
This happened when Ekstra Bladet simply went to the office of the
Denmark's secretary-general, Lars Normann Jørgensen, phoned Fred Stock in
Canada and handed the receiver to Lars Norman, so the two of them could
talk. The monitored target from Denmark and the spy who changed sides from
Canada.
"Hello, this is Lars. What can you tell me about the surveillance
of Amnesty International?" the secretary-general asks on the phone across
the Atlantic to Canada. The replies are alarmingly detailed:
"When I was working for CSE (the Canadian Security Establishment,
Canada's Echelon service - ed.), I saw countless reports on Amnesty
International," explains ex-spy Fred Stock.
"The great majority of the reports were final products prepared by
the NSA (National Security Agency, the US's Echelon service - ed.)." The
NSA collected the raw intelligence from all around the world and used it
in the reports I received," says Fred Stock.
REPORTS ON PRISONERS
Amnesty's Danish secretary-general, Lars Normann Jørgensen, continues his
questioning: "Did the reports cover our campaigns? Or were they reports
on individuals who work for Amnesty, or on some of the victims we are
trying to help?"
"Some of the reports were about eyewitnesses and prisoners of
conscience in prisons around the world. But there were also reports on
forthcoming campaigns, and occasionally we received reports with other
information about the organization."
"My job was to receive the incoming reports and forward them to
the analysts who were responsible for evaluating the contents."
Ex-spy Fred Stock has a long talk with Amnesty's
secretary-general. After they hang up, it is Ekstra Bladet's turn to talk
with the Mr. Jørgensen.
Are you surprised?
"No, not really. We know it's going on. But the proportions
astonish me. I also think it's interesting that they collected reports on
prisoners of conscience and political prisoners. These prisoners are often
prominent persons who occasionally end up in very important positions.
Take Nelson Mandela or Vaclav Havel, for instance," says Lars Normann
Jørgensen.
"In general, I would say that if someone wanted to know more about
Amnesty, we prefer that they enter through the front door," he adds with a
wry smile.
"But it's a rather atypical problem for Amnesty International.
Usually, we are the ones trying to clarify how 'other' persons' rights are
being violated."
What are the implications for your organization?
"It clearly gives rise to a fundamental concern for the safety of
both the victims and the witnesses," concludes the secretary-general.
Now, Lars Normann intends to alert his Amnesty colleagues in
Canada, and tell them about Fred Stock. At the same time he will contact
Amnesty International Headquarters in London.
"I want to make sure that the Canadian organization realizes that
Fred Stock possesses this knowledge. Afterward, I will contact our
international headquarters in London to find out how we can clear this up
with the responsible politicians."
[caption]
Ekstra Bladet hands the receiver to Amnesty's Danish secretary-general. At
the other end of the line is Fred Stock, the Echelon agent who spied on
Amnesty International.
By Bo Elkjaer and Kenan Seeberg, Ekstra Bladet, Denmark
>>Bevar naturen: Sylt et egern.<<
>>URL: http://www.datashopper.dk/~boo/index.html<<
>>ECHELON URL:<<
>>http://www1.ekstrabladet.dk/netdetect/echelon.iasp<<
