EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ««« « « « « 1999 « « 2004 ««« Session document FINAL A5-0264/2001 PAR1 11 July 2001 REPORT on the existence of a global system for the interception of private and commercial communications (ECHELON interception system) (2001/2098(INI)) Part 1: Motion for a resolution Explanatory statement Temporary Committee on the ECHELON Interception System Rapporteur: Gerhard Schmid RR\445698EN.doc PE 305.391 EN EN PE 305.391 2/194 RR\445698EN.doc EN ‘Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes.’ Juvenal (ca. 60 to 130 AD), Sat. 6, 347 RR\445698EN.doc 3/194 PE 305.391 EN CONTENTS Page PROCEDURAL PAGE .............................................................................................................. 9 MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION ............................................................................................ 10 EXPLANATORY STATEMENT ............................................................................................. 21 1. Introduction: .......................................................................................................21 1.1. The reasons for setting up the committee .................................................................21 1.2. The claims made in the two STOA studies on a global interception system codenamed ECHELON .............................................................................................21 1.2.1. The first STOA report of 1997 ..................................................................................21 1.2.2. The 1999 STOA reports.............................................................................................21 1.3. The mandate of the committee ..................................................................................22 1.4. Why not a committee of inquiry? ..............................................................................22 1.5. Working method and schedule ..................................................................................23 1.6. Characteristics ascribed to the ECHELON system ...................................................23 2. The operations of foreign intelligence services…………….....................25 2.1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................25 2.2. What is espionage? ....................................................................................................25 2.3. Espionage targets .......................................................................................................25 2.4. Espionage methods....................................................................................................25 2.4.1. Human intelligence....................................................................................................26 2.4.2. Processing of electromagnetic signals .......................................................................26 2.5. The operations of certain intelligence services..........................................................27 3. Technical conditions governing the interception of telecommunications............................................................................................30 3.1. The interceptibility of various communication media...............................................30 3.2. The scope for interception on the spot ......................................................................30 3.3. The scope for a worldwide interception system ........................................................31 3.3.1. Access to communication media ...............................................................................31 3.3.2. Scope for the automatic analysis of intercepted communications: the use of filters .........................................................................................................35 3.3.3. The example of the German Federal Intelligence Service.........................................35 PE 305.391 4/194 RR\445698EN.doc EN 4. Satellite communications technology ..........................................................37 4.1. The significance of telecommunications satellites ...................................................37 4.2. How a satellite link operates......................................................................................38 4.2.1. Geostationary satellites..............................................................................................38 4.2.2. The route followed by signals sent via a satellite communication link.....................38 4.2.3. The most important satellite communication systems...............................................39 4.2.4. The allocation of frequencies.....................................................................................43 4.2.5. Satellite footprints......................................................................................................43 4.2.6. The size of antennae required by an earth station......................................................44 4.3. Satellite communications for military purposes ........................................................45 4.3.1. General.......................................................................................................................45 4.3.2. Frequencies used for military purposes .....................................................................45 4.3.3. Size of the receiving stations .....................................................................................45 4.3.4. Examples of military communications satellites .......................................................45 5. Clues to the existence of at least one global interception system..... 47 5.1. Why is it necessary to work on the basis of clues? ...................................................47 5.1.1. Evidence of interception activity on the part of foreign intelligence services ..........47 5.1.2. Evidence for the existence of stations in the necessary geographical areas .............47 5.1.3. Evidence of a close intelligence association .............................................................48 5.2. How can a satellite communications interception station be recognised? ................48 5.2.1. Criterion 1: accessibility of the installation ..............................................................48 5.2.2. Criterion 2: type of antenna ......................................................................................48 5.2.3. Criterion 3: size of antenna .......................................................................................49 5.2.4. Criterion 4: evidence from official sources ..............................................................49 5.3. Publicly accessible data about known interception stations ....................................50 5.3.1. Method.......................................................................................................................50 5.3.2. Detailed analysis........................................................................................................50 5.3.3. Summary of the findings ...........................................................................................59 5.4. The UKUSA Agreement............................................................................................59 5.4.1. The historical development of the UKUSA Agreement............................................59 5.4.2. Evidence for the existence of the agreement .............................................................61 5.5. Evaluation of declassified American documents.......................................................62 5.5.1. Nature of documents..................................................................................................62 5.5.2. Content of documents................................................................................................63 5.5.3. Summary....................................................................................................................66 5.6. Information from authors and journalists specialised in this field ............................67 5.6.1. Nicky Hager's book...................................................................................................67 5.6.2. Duncan Campbell......................................................................................................68 5.6.3. Jeff Richelson............................................................................................................69 5.6.4. James Bamford ..........................................................................................................69 5.6.5. Bo Elkjaer and Kenan Seeberg..................................................................................70 5.7. Statements by former intelligence service employees...............................................71 5.7.1. Margaret Newsham (former NSA employee)............................................................71 5.7.2. Wayne Madsen (former NSA employee) ..................................................................71 5.7.3. Mike Frost (former Canadian secret service employee)............................................71 RR\445698EN.doc 5/194 PE 305.391 EN 5.7.4. Fred Stock (former Canadian secret service employee)............................................72 5.8. Information from government sources ......................................................................72 5.8.1. USA ...........................................................................................................................72