by KEN DILANIAN
The National Security Agency regularly gives Israel intercepts that may include sensitive data about U.S. citizens, a memo leaked by Edward Snowden says.
The National Security Agency routinely shares raw intelligence data with Israel that probably includes sensitive information about Americans, according to the latest top-secret document leaked by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.
The 2009 document, a memorandum of understanding between the NSA and its Israeli counterpart, says the U.S. government regularly hands over intercepted communications that have not first been reviewed by U.S. analysts and therefore may contain phone calls and emails of American citizens.
The agreement allows for the possibility that intercepts given to Israel might include the communications of U.S. government officials, in which case Israel is supposed to destroy them immediately. Other data on U.S. citizens who aren’t in the government, however, can be kept by Israel for up to a year, according to the document, first published Wednesday by Britain’s Guardian newspaper.
NSA officials declined to answer questions but issued a statement saying, “Whenever we share intelligence information, we comply with all applicable rules, including the rules to protect U.S. person information.”
It’s no secret that the U.S. and Israel cooperate closely against intelligence targets of mutual interest, such as Syria and Iran. But providing Israel unfiltered electronic intelligence feeds raises questions about why American officials would trust Israel to respect the privacy of U.S. citizens.
The practice also raises the specter of Israel using U.S. intelligence to carry out operations of which the U.S. disapproves. The Obama administration has condemned, for example, the assassinations of several Iranian nuclear scientists that many analysts believe Israel had a hand in.
Los Angeles Times for more
(Thanks to Asghar Vasanwala)