Chile's UN phones 'were tapped'

Last Updated: Tuesday, 10 February, 2004, 18:41 GMT



Chile's UN phones 'were tapped'


At the time, US officials were trying to make the case for invading Iraq
Chile's mission to the United Nations was spied on in the run-up to war in Iraq, the former envoy has alleged.

Technicians inspecting the telephones found they had been tampered with, Juan Gabriel Valdes said in an interview.

At the time, Chile was one of several countries seen as undecided on whether to back a proposed resolution sanctioning the use of force in Iraq.

UK media reports at the time alleged the US was monitoring communications from envoys from those countries.
(snip/...)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3477479.stm

This is from a report in the Guardian a few weeks before the war last year:


Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war

Sunday March 2, 2003

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12239,905936,00.html

Sources in Washington familiar with the operation said last week that there had been a division among Bush administration officials over whether to pursue such a high-intensity surveillance campaign with some warning of the serious consequences of discovery.

The existence of the surveillance operation, understood to have been requested by President Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is deeply embarrassing to the Americans in the middle of their efforts to win over the undecided delegations.

The language and content of the memo were judged to be authentic by three former intelligence operatives shown it by The Observer. We were also able to establish that Frank Koza does work for the NSA and could confirm his senior post in the Regional Targets section of the organisation.

The NSA main switchboard put The Observer through to extension 6727 at the agency which was answered by an assistant, who confirmed it was Koza's office. However, when The Observer asked to talk to Koza about the surveillance of diplomatic missions at the United Nations, it was then told 'You have reached the wrong number'.

From your article:

(snip) The memo is directed at senior NSA officials and advises them that the agency is 'mounting a surge' aimed at gleaning information not only on how delegations on the Security Council will vote on any second resolution on Iraq, but also 'policies', 'negotiating positions', 'alliances' and 'dependencies' - the 'whole gamut of information that could give US policymakers an edge in obtaining results favourable to US goals or to head off surprises'.

Dated 31 January 2003, the memo was circulated four days after the UN's chief weapons inspector Hans Blix produced his interim report on Iraqi compliance with UN resolution 1441.

It was sent by Frank Koza, chief of staff in the 'Regional Targets' section of the NSA, which spies on countries that are viewed as strategically important for United States interests.

Koza specifies that the information will be used for the US's 'QRC' - Quick Response Capability - 'against' the key delegations.
(snip)

Horrendous.

We only trust those south americans when we select the dictator.