Israel ‘involved’ in US data collection - Audio
Scott Rickard, a former American Intelligence Linguist, says Israel is also “involved” in spying operations carried out by the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. ● “The Israelis are very involved in any collection activity. A lot of the technologies that are being applied have been developed in the States as well as in Israel and Europe using Mossad agents,” Rickard told Press TV on Saturday. A recent report has suggested that the CIA is collecting financial transaction records from the likes of Western Union under the Patriot Act. This is the same law exploited by the NSA. Many in the US have criticized the measure as massive violation of the Fourth Amendment. Rickard said the revelation isn’t something new. He said the financial transactions have been collected for “well over 50 years”. US officials have now expanded the program to target “suspected terrorists,” he said. The Wall Street Journal reported that former US government officials familiar with the CIA program have said that the program “has been useful in discovering terrorist relationships and financial patterns”.