(WMR)—WMR has learned from knowledgeable National Security Agency sources that most of the world’s voice and textual data is captured and processed by four major signals intelligence activities with the code names of FAIRVIEW, STORMBREW, BLARNEY and OAKSTAR.
The systems are listed on one of the classified PowerPoint slides revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The first system is FAIRVIEW, which taps into fiber cables at some 80 locations around the United States. FAIRVIEW’s signals intelligence activity designator (SIGAD) is US-990. The SIGAD is actually the domestic digital voice networks operated by AT&T, Verizon, and other providers.
STORMBREW, with the SIGAD of US 983, operates like FAIRVIEW but instead of voice communications, STORMBREW collects textual data from the digital fiber networks operated by AT&T, Verizon, and other companies.
BLARNEY captures data from the international cables, includng submarine cables. BLARNEY intercepts are provided by the FIVE EYES partners of NSA, including Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), and New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB).
OAKSTAR also captures data from cables in parts of the world where NSA and its FIVE EYES partners do not have access. OAKSTAR intercepts of digital cable traffic is accomplished by some 48 Third Party partners of NSA. The Third Parties include the signals intelligence agencies of Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Finland, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Turkey, Greece, Israel, India, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Africa, Egypt, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Oman, Morocco, Lebanon, Ireland, and Iceland. NSA Third Party status is in a state of constant fluctuation. For example, Iran was once a Third Party NSA partner before the fall of the Shah but it is now a primary target for NSA surveillance. Nations like Vietnam and Mongolia are candidates for Third Party status as the U.S. increased military and intelligence ties with both.
Previously published in the Wayne Madsen Report.
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Wayne Madsen is a Washington, DC-based investigative journalist and nationally-distributed columnist. He is the editor and publisher of the Wayne Madsen Report (subscription required).
