A high-level U.S. spy agency is conducting an aggressive
surveillance operation against key U.N. Security Council delegates
as part of the Bush administration?s campaign to win approval for
its planned invasion of Iraq.
A January 31 National Security Agency memo leaked to the British
newspaper The Observer orders staff to intercept telephone
calls and e-mail messages from Security Council delegates who have
not yet indicated their position on the Iraq situation. The spy
agency, according to the report, is ?mounting a surge? designed not
only to provide information on how countries such as Mexico,
Guinea, Chile, and Angola intend to vote on a second Iraq
resolution, but also to reveal ?policies,? ?negotiating positions,?
?alliances? and ?dependencies??the ?whole gamut of information that
could give U.S. policymakers an edge in obtaining results
favourable to U.S. goals or to head off surprises.?
The memorandum was circulated by Frank Koza, chief of staff in
the NSA?s Regional Targets section, which monitors countries of
strategic importance to the United States. Koza suggests that both
office and home telephones of U.N. delegates be bugged and orders
staff to also ?pay attention to existing non-U.N. Security Council
Member U.N.-related and domestic comms [office and home telephones]
for anything useful related to Security Council deliberations.?
The surveillance operation, requested by Bush?s National
Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, comes at a time when the
administration is fiercely lobbying Security Council members to
support its invasion plans.
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