Blix's phone tapped: sources

[rooboy]

The British or US intelligence services monitored former United Nations chief weapons inspector Hans Blix's mobile phone whenever he was in Iraq, sources have told the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corp.).

The claim comes after former British cabinet minister Clare Short said the British intelligence service had spied on United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan as the United States and Britain tried to win UN support for invading Iraq.

Andrew Fowler from the ABC's Investigative Unit says sources have told him that Australia's Office of National Assessments has read transcripts of Dr Blix's phone conversations in Iraq.

"That's what I'm told, specifically each time he entered Iraq his phone was targeted and recorded and the transcripts were then made available to the United States, Australia, Canada, the UK and also New Zealand," Fowler said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1054505.htm

[GermanDJ]

1. Gross ...

If this is true: Didn't those who conducted the tapping fear that this might someday be exposed?

I imagine they must have known that the political damage would be HUGE.

[9215]

5. I was wondering about that too. Like alot of other

things these fascists bastards are doing that cause, or appear to cause, them serious political damage--they don't seem to care. Do they have plans to make politics irrevelant like the deficit?

[Democat]

2. Bush's America - Big Brother is reality

How can he have any support at all? Bush is everything that America is not supposed to be.

[rooboy]

3. This story suggest that Eschalon was used for this...

because I can't see why New Zealand would be clued in on the transcripts, unless Eschalon was involved. One of Eschalon's listening posts is in NZ.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

8. well spotted

I missed the significance of that first time round.

[9215]

4. What is the BFEE strategy here?

To condition people to get used to having the government violate their rights to privacy?

Maybe Blix and the UN should feel lucky that they weren't suicided. :eyes:

Is it not feasible for Blix and members of the UN who were eavedropped on to file charges and raise holy hell? Cong. McDermott was raked over the coals for purportedly using info obtained from illegal eavesdropping on Newtered Gingrich.

The double standard is outrageous.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. This scandal goes directly to the WH

Condi Rice gave the orders for this operation to spy on members of the UN before the Iraq War. It was reported in the Guardian last year on March 2rd.


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

[rooboy]

9. Lucky she doesn't believe in being under oath.... n/t

[htuttle]

10. Oh yes, I remember that

Thanks for the link.

It reinforces my suspicion that it's not deja vu I've been experiencing when I see something in the American media I swear I'd seen long ago. It's just that I read the foreign press...

[FreakinDJ]

7. The laws of the United States

don't cover what these thugs do outside our borders

[Colin Ex]

11. International law does, though.

I forget which, but there's a convention that prohibits espionage at the UN, hardcore.

I can't imagine tapping Blix's phone is legal at all. This says a lot about the US and the UK's ideologies.

-C

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

12. Vienna Convention

but f-all will happen unless someone like Syria is found to have broken it then merry hell would break loose :)