Manila a U.S. 'listening post' – report
MANILA, Philippines – The US embassy in Manila is one of Washington's "listening posts" in Asia, used to spy on communication networks and phone calls in the region, a report published Tuesday, October 29, said.
A top-secret map leaked by fugitive intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, published by German news magazine Der Spiegel on Tuesday, listed Manila as one of 90 surveillance facilities at embassies and consulates around the world.
Of the 90, at least 74 – including Manila – were listed as "staffed locations," while at least 14 others are unmanned. Two other facilities serve as technical support centers.
There are no details yet on the extent of the operations in Manila, but the report said the facilities are used by the United States to monitor communication networks and phone calls, under the joint Central Intelligence Agency-National Security Agency group called the "Special Collection Service."
The revelation of the listening posts followed days of angry protests from the US's European allies after newspaper reports, based on leaks from Snowden, that Washington collected tens of millions of telephone calls and online communications in Europe as part of a vast anti-terror sweep.
Aside from Manila, the map dated August 13, 2010 listed communications intelligence facilities in cities such as Jakarta, Beijing, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Yangon. Facilities in East Asia, mostly in China, were also listed.
However, there are no such facilities in the US's closest allies Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, the Sydney Morning Herald noted.
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