United States Can Spy on Britons Despite Pact, N.S.A. Memo Says The New York Times By JAMES GLANZ Published: November 20, 2013 The National Security Agency is authorized to spy on the citizens of America’s closest allies, including Britain, even though those English-speaking countries have long had an official non-spying pact, according to a newly disclosed memorandum. The classified N.S.A. document, which appears to be a draft and is dated January 2005, states that under specific circumstances, the American intelligence agency may spy on citizens of Britain without that country’s consent or knowledge. The memo, provided by the former N.S.A. contractor Edward J. Snowden, is labeled secret and “NOFORN,” indicating that it may not be shared with any foreign country. In recent months, the N.S.A.’s activities have stoked anger across the world after leaked documents have exposed American spying on political and economic partners like Germany and France, as well as various foreign leaders. But until now, there has been almost nothing disclosed about spying among the “Five Eyes” countries — the United States and its close intelligence partners Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The N.S.A. declined to respond to questions on whether the draft became official policy and whether spying on Britain without its consent had ever taken place. But portions of the document appear to indicate that, whether by formal agreement or simply longstanding practice, both Britain and the United States believed that in extraordinary circumstances, one country might feel compelled to spy on citizens of the other. In a reference to an intelligence-sharing compact struck in March 1946, the memo said the two nations had agreed “that both governments will not target each other’s citizens/persons.” That agreement, however, came with a caveat that “when it is in the best interest of each nation,” unilateral spying by one nation on the other could take place, the memo says. It goes on to expand that mandate to allow spying by the United States on any of the Five Eyes countries. The memo was provided by Mr. Snowden to The Guardian, which shared it with The New York Times. The N.S.A. also declined to say whether the memorandum merely codified longstanding American practice or was breaking new ground. nytimes/2013/11/21/us/united-states-can-spy-on-britons-despite-pact-nsa-memo-says.html?hp&_r=0
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:24:20 +0000
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