We have not been spared
The map confirms the global reach of US signals intelligence operations with special collection facilities in 90 different locations spread across most major capitals on every continent.
(Borneo Post) – Deputy Home Minister outraged by reports revealing US National Security Agency spying on Malaysia through surveillance facilities at American embassy in Kuala Lumpur
KUCHING: The American embassy in Kuala Lumpur has been reported to be one of American embassies installed with communications intelligence facilities worldwide.
Australian dailies Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and its Fairfax Media sister publication The Age revealed in their reports that a top secret map also listed American embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Yangon as among those similarly equipped.
The map dated Aug 13, 2010, initially published in full by German magazine Spiegel’s website shows no such facilities located in Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Japan and Singapore – US’ closest allies.
The map confirms the global reach of US signals intelligence operations with special collection facilities in 90 different locations spread across most major capitals on every continent.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar when contacted last night said if the information was true, Malaysia should make an offi cial protest to the American government for its unethical behaviour.
“We have been friendly to them and we have been helping them in their agenda but they have not practised what they preach.
Expressing outrage over the possible intrusion of private telephone cal ls Wan Junaidi added, “Individual spying is also totally unacceptable because it’s against the value of individual privacy which has been preached by the west.” The Borneo Post contacted the American Embassy in Kuala Lumpur last night to verify the Australian news report.
US Embassy spokesman Harvey Sernovitz said it would respond to the allegations by intel ligence whist le-blower Edward Snowden that it is running monitoring stations in its embassies across East and South East Asian countries including Malaysia to tap telephones and monitor communication networks.
He added that the embassy could not come up with the necessary comments last night but would try to do it by today (Wednesday).
Spiegel has broken a series of stories about US surveillance of its al lies and neighbours f rom documents leaked by Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor.
In August , Australian intelligence sources confirmed that top secret intel ligence tool XKeyscore — revealed by Snowden — has been used to spy on Malaysia among other Asia- Pacifi c countries.
The revelation followed a leaked slideshow published by the UK’s daily The Guardian revealing in detail the NSA programme, which the newspaper claimed collects “nearly everything a user does on the Internet”.
The top secret slideshow made in 2008 revealed that the Xkeyscore program allows analysts to search through extensive database of emails, search queries, social media, online chats, and browsing histories of millions of people with no need for prior authorisation.
According to the SMH report, the map revealed yesterday showed a joint group between Central Intel ligence Agency and NSA called ‘Special Collection Service’ conducting sweeping surveillance operation and clandestine operations against specific intel ligence targets.
SMH also reported that the current operations were said to take up a whole room of the embassy buildings and it also enabled the staff to listen to local telephone calls as well.
Last week, Spiegel reported that the telephone number of Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor had been a target of US Surveillance since 2002 when she was the leader of the opposition.
