Materials arranged chronologically.
Yiacoumi,
Roulla. "Hidden Report Reveals Crypto Paranoia." Australian
Consolidated Press, 13 Jan. 1999. [http://newswire.com.au]
A copy of the report, Review of Policy Relating to Encryption Technologies, written by former deputy director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Gerard Walsh in 1996 but withdrawn from public sale three weeks after it was released, has been found in the Hobart State Library by a university student. It is available on the web site of the civil liberties group Electronic Frontiers Australia.
Stewart, Cameron. "Our UN Team Used as Spies." The Australian, 28 Jan 1999. [http://www.theaustralian.com.au]
Scott Ritter, "an American and former senior UNSCOM inspector, said four of the Australians under his command in Iraq expressed fears last August that the US was using UNSCOM's intelligence information for its own purposes.... Ritter said one Australian military officer was used by UNSCOM specifically for the purposes of installing sensitive electronic surveillance equipment targeted at uncovering information about Iraq's weapons programs."
The head of UNSCOM, Australian Richard Butler "strongly denied that the Australian inspectors or anyone in UNSCOM had worked on behalf of the US and he said that the Australians were merely carrying out the UN Security Council's mandate to hunt down [Iraqi President Saddam] Hussein's illegal weapons."
Maher,
William. "ASIO Report Under Fire." Australian Consolidated
Press, 14 May 1999. [http://newswire.com.au]
Australian privacy advocates are criticizing a parliamentary report released on 13 May 1999 "that endorses legislation allowing the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to tap into private computers."
Campbell, Duncan.
"Careful, They Might Hear You." The Age (Melbourne), 23 May 1999. [http://www.theage.com.au]
Campbell reports on remarks made to Channel 9's "Sunday" program (see Ross Coulthart, reporter, "['Sunday' program:] Big Brother Is Listening.") by Martin Brady, Director of the Australian Defence Signals Directorate, relative to cooperation with United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and New Zealand in Sigint collection. There is also additional discussion of the role and activities of Sigint sites in Australia.
Coulthart,
Ross, reporter. "['Sunday' program:] Big Brother Is Listening."
Channel 9 (Australia), 23 May 1999. [http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au]
Transcript of program focused on activities of "the UK-USA alliance" that includes cooperation of intelligence organizations in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Participants are Mike Frost (former Canadian CSE), Nicky Hager (author), Bill Blick (Australian Inspector General of Intelligence and Security), Wayne Madsen (former NSA), Jeffrey Richelson (author), and Martin Brady (Director of Australian DSD). The latter is quoted as stating: "DSD does cooperate with counterpart signals intelligence organisations overseas under the UKUSA relationship."
Smith, Leef. "Australian Aide Under Probe Dead in Apparent Suicide." Washington Post, 17 Jun. 1999, B2.
Mervyn Jenkins, "[a] senior Australian Defense Intelligence official who was under investigation for mishandling documents[,] was found dead [on 12 June 1999] at his Arlington home, the victim of an apparent suicide."
Hewett, Jennifer. "The Miserable Death of the Spy Who Wasn't." Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Jun. 1999. [http://www.smh.com.au]
An Australian Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) officer, Mervyn Jenkins, has hanged himself after coming "under investigation for a 'handling of documents incident' that happened several months ago." This comes in the wake of a tightening of security by the Australian service following the arrest of former DIO officer Jean-Philippe Wispeleare on spying charges in the United States.
Defence
Systems Daily. "Australia Shakes Up
Defence Intelligence." 28 Oct. 1999. [http://defence-data.com]
Australian Defence Minister John Moore has announced the creation of a Defence Intelligence Board (DIB) "to oversee the provision of better intelligence to support Defence and Government decision making." In addition, an Australian Imagery Organisation (AIO) has been established. The AIO "will be responsible for the collection, interpretation and use of imagery to support Australia's strategic and national intelligence needs."
The DIB's functions include "[d]irection of the overall planning and management of Defence intelligence agencies -- the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD), the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO), and the Australian Imagery Organisation (AIO).
Martin Brady, currently Acting Deputy Secretary Strategy, will head the DIB. Ron Bonighton, formerly Head, Systems Acquisition Division (Electronic Systems), Defence Acquisition Organisation, will be Director, DSD. Frank Lewincamp, formerly First Assistant Secretary, Resources and Financial Programmes, has been appointed Director, DIO. Chris Stephens will be Director, AIO.
Maher,
William. "Parliament Passes ASIO Bill." Australian Consolidated
Press, 26 Nov. 1999. [http://newswire.com.au]
On 25 November 1999, the Australian Parliament passed the ASIO Amendment Bill 1999, which allows "the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to tap into and alter data on private computer systems.... This is the first time in 13 years a major change has been made to the ASIO Act 1979."
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