Big Brother Was Watching Everyone
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Big Brother Was Watching Everyone
Today's releases at the National Archives has a large clutch of fascinating documents on the collaboration between GCHQ and NSA at
Newly released GCHQ files: UKUSA Agreement
It appears that there was a UKUSA agreement, which is documented and that we did use a large number of UK airfields and sites in support of this venture.
I am sure that a number of the older air and ground crews will be relieved to hear that their efforts in the sigint war were not only necessary but also of key importance.
The description in one file from the mid-late 1940s tracing the location of uranium deposits and the Russian personnel and equipment used for separating that element are a work of inspired application.
I think we probably had a better handle on it than the Russians.
On the lighter side, we can now openly state that GCHQ resides at Cheltenham, RAF Menwith Hill is in Yorkshire and has satellite dishes, there was a UKUSA agreement, and some of our aircraft and resources were used to collect sigint.
The files are a fascinating read.
Newly released GCHQ files: UKUSA Agreement
It appears that there was a UKUSA agreement, which is documented and that we did use a large number of UK airfields and sites in support of this venture.
I am sure that a number of the older air and ground crews will be relieved to hear that their efforts in the sigint war were not only necessary but also of key importance.
The description in one file from the mid-late 1940s tracing the location of uranium deposits and the Russian personnel and equipment used for separating that element are a work of inspired application.
I think we probably had a better handle on it than the Russians.
On the lighter side, we can now openly state that GCHQ resides at Cheltenham, RAF Menwith Hill is in Yorkshire and has satellite dishes, there was a UKUSA agreement, and some of our aircraft and resources were used to collect sigint.
The files are a fascinating read.
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Many years ago, I replied to a Local Radio rant about ATC. As I was an anony mouse, I did not thin it was a problem. Went into work 24 hrs later, all my buddies said "well done, etc" 45 mins later, my boss called my in, no tea, no bikkies. He had a tape of my conversation supplied by GCHQ, but not the start of the discussion. I got a "ticking off"...[and when he left, the tape]...which I still have 
