Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 15:18:21 -0400
From: "Betty G.O'Hearn" <betty@infowar.com>
Subject: "Secret Power" Claims to Expose Secret International Spying Networks

"Secret Power" by Nicki Hagar
The International Spying Networks UKUSA and ECHELON
301pp ISBN: 0-908802-35-8

According to this remarkable book, that has somehow escaped the flames of
book banners crying "national security," the United States NSA and the
United Kingdom's GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) operate a
global spying network called UKUSA. To listen in on conversations across the
planet, a massive eavesdropping apparatus was built, with tentacles which
reach into dozens of different countries beyond the shores of either the US
or UK as well as across the skies.

Describing the nature of UKUSA, its global affiliations, and operations
represents a huge effort on the part of author Nicki Hager. He states early
on in 'Secret Power':

  "Many people are vaguely aware that a lot of spying occurs, maybe even on
  them, but how do we judge if it is ubiquitous or not a worry at all? Is
  someone listening every time we pick up the telephone? Are all of our
  Internet or fax messages being pored over continuously by shadowy figures
  somewhere in a windowless building?

  "What follows explains as precisely as possible - and for the first time
  in public - how the worldwide [spy] system works, just how immense and
  powerful it is and what it can and cannot do.

  "The global system has a highly secret codename: ECHELON."

And that is the foundation of a tremendous amount of research that describes
in detail how the vast global spying network "collects all the telephone
calls, faxes, telexes, Internet messages and other electronic communications
that its computers have been pre-programmed to select," and then analyzes
the contents and distributes it to members UKUSA and ECHELON partners
world-wide.

The operational details of how the US (NSA), UK (GCHQ), Canada (CSE),
Australia (DSD) and New Zealand (GCSB) intercepts signals, throws high power
computing behind ECHELON 'KeyWord' dictionary attacks and what they do with
that information is potentially alarming; especially since so much of this
decades old practice has been kept under the wraps of security.

Secret Power names the names, provides the dates and the technical details
on the world's largest, best financed and coordinated global spying
apparatus ever conceived. Full of pictures, maps and charts, the reader will
get a complete picture of just how much effort and resources go into
international security, long distance eavesdropping, and spying.

From the Cold War to today, UKUSA and ECHELON have been fascinating and
powerful intelligence functions to spy both on enemies and friends. "Secret
Power" provides the first peek inside the world's most secretive and
powerful electronic spy organization.

"Secret Power" reads like a thriller, except that it's true. It should be
read by everyone with an interest in intelligence, espionage and the
technology that modern spies use.

"An astonishing number of people have told him [author Nicki Hager] things
that I, as Prime Minister in charge of the intelligence services, was never
told...It is an outrage that I and other ministers were told so little."
        -David Lange, Prime Minister of New Zealand 1984-89

"...the most detailed and up to date account of the work of any signals
intelligence agency in existence. It is a masterpiece of investigative
reporting, and provides a wealth of information."
        -Jeffrey T. Richelson, leading authority on United States
intelligence agencies and author of America's Secret Eyes in the Sky, and
co-author of 'The Ties that Bind.'