Rampant spying destroys US credibility

[TaiShang]

Rampant spying destroys US credibility

By Zhao Minghao Source:Global Times Published: 2015-8-5 19:28:06

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The US National Security Agency (NSA) seems to have again brought huge troubles to the Department of State which now has to fix the country's relations with important allies impaired by the NSA spying.

Documents recently released by Wikileaks showed Washington spied on Japan's key governmental agencies like the cabinet office and companies including the Mitsubishi conglomerate after Shinzo Abe first took office in 2007. It even shared highly classified information with the other four members of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership, namely Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Unlike Germany and France, Japan, the most important US ally in the Asia-Pacific, has taken a meek approach to the issue.

With Prime Minister Abe's strong push, Japan is adjusting its national security strategy in an all-around manner and particularly its alliance with the US will be reshaped in accordance with the new defense cooperation guidelines. They will also have closer coordination in cyber security, and the US is eager to translate the strength of Japanese enterprises in information technology and products into important assets that can promote bilateral security cooperation.

Apart from the Japan-US diplomacy, the NSA reportedly listened to Japanese officials and enterprises on issues like international trade policy, climate change and nuclear policy.

The latest Wikileaks disclosure came at a critical juncture of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations involving Japan and the US, unveiling that the two countries have prominent conflicts of interests in the economic front. As the spying issue has indicated, while leaders of the two countries brag about the TPP's strategic significance, they still have to face the awkward trust deficit between them.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said, "The lesson for Japan is this: Do not expect a global surveillance superpower to act with honor or respect. There is only one rule: There are no rules."

This lesson should not be learned just by Japan. The US spying on other countries including its allies under the excuse of national security has been widely criticized and also brought out the hypocrisy in Washington's political rhetoric regarding cyber security.

However, when the US surveillance is continuously exposed, the US government instead mulls about retaliating against China for alleged cyber attacks instead of correcting its own ways.

Michael Rogers, who heads both the NSA and the US Cyber Command, proposed exercising cyber deterrence on China and even attacks on China's critical infrastructure such as telecommunications and transport.

The Pentagon said in its cyber strategy in May that "the Department of Defense must be able to provide integrated cyber capabilities to support military operations and contingency plans."

Undoubtedly, China will be in a disadvantaged position if the US launches cyber attacks.

The US media reported recently that the Office of Personnel Management had its massive info breached by China-backed hackers.

Although there has been no reliable evidence supporting the accusation, the incident has impacted ordinary Americans' view of the bilateral relationship, especially as the presidential election cycle has started.

The US fears that publishing evidence will expose details of its own Internet espionage activities and cyber warfare abilities against other countries. It irresponsibly equals cyber attacks with IP addresses from China to the Chinese government-backed ones and China is considered to have produced a large number of Internet threats to the US.

However, Washington has long conducted large-scale spying, attack and intrusions against China's government agencies, companies, universities and backbone network of telecommunications, which involve Chinese leaders, netizens and cellphone subscribers. China's State Internet Information Office said the US is actually the biggest attacker of China's cyber space.

More disturbing is that the US spying activities have become increasingly aggressive instead of being restrained. Washington tends to deal with its divergence with China on cyber issues through confrontational means.

Responding to how to better use the US information giants like Google and Facebook to serve national security, former NSA director Michael Hayden said bluntly, "Why would we not turn the most powerful telecommunications and computing management structure on the planet to our use?"

Such an exceptionalist mentality characterized by power and arrogance seems to have become popular among US decision-makers.

Spying on Japan reminds the world that US' global surveillance is illegal and invasive, and even its allies feel offended.

The huge technological advantages of the US in information and the Internet shouldn't become a pass for its espionage activities. Exploiting the loophole of international rules will only consume the US global leadership that it has sought to maintain.

The author is a research fellow at the Charhar Institute and an adjunct fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

 

[Gufi]

Documents recently released by Wikileaks showed Washington spied on Japan's key governmental agencies like the cabinet office and companies including the Mitsubishi conglomerate after Shinzo Abe first took office in 2007. It even shared highly classified information with the other four members of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership, namely Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

so a privelaged few can do as they like with no consequences... this is what I do not accept in the sanctions system, any other nation found doing this would be sanctioned and made an outcast

Unlike Germany and France, Japan, the most important US ally in the Asia-Pacific, has taken a meek approach to the issue.

@Nihonjin1051 why would you say that a meek approach is taken...

 

[jhungary]

Do you all ever wonder why only the Chinese Guy here open thread about US Spying in Japan when Japanese Member like @Nihonjin1051 et el don't even care to comment?

In the US we have a thing call "White Hat" convention, which is a group of hacker would gather together to demonstrate their skill and knowledge in order to increase awareness of Internet Security. And by saying demonstrate their skill, I mean they start hacking government and commercial computers

Now, the revelation that US spy on Japan, Germany or [Insert Country Name Here] may create a bit of a jam for that country being spied on. But NOT BECAUSE IT WAS BEING SPIED. Rather it is the degree of such penetration.

I cannot divulge exact info or intel here, but spying on allies country are very common within the west, that is one way you can improve your information/communication security (INFOSEC and COMSEC). And the reason those document were leaked were almost unitary on the declassified bin. Again, if you want to create an Anti-Trust environment, would it be a bigger news to revel how US Spy on their enemy, but not their allies?

LOL, Therefore while there are protest to the Government of the US, there are nothing new about this and almsot all the country that being "SPIED" on by US have move on. Only people who know nothing about spying and espionage would have jump up and down and think this is any sort of big deal.

look like it's time I wrote some espionage theme article in PDF for better understanding of Intelligence and Espionage

 

[SirHatesALot]

Getting caught destroys credibility not spying.

 

[cirr]

As if the US had any credibility before。

The US is only credible in the eyes of the 5 English-speaking nations。

 

[Gufi]

Now, the revelation that US spy on Japan, Germany or [Insert Country Name Here] may create a bit of a jam for that country being spied on. But NOT BECAUSE IT WAS BEING SPIED. Rather it is the degree of such penetration.

I cannot divulge exact info or intel here, but spying on allies country are very common within the west, that is one way you can improve your information/communication security (INFOSEC and COMSEC). And the reason those document were leaked were almost unitary on the declassified bin. Again, if you want to create an Anti-Trust environment, would it be a bigger news to revel how US Spy on their enemy, but not their allies?

even in the spying world there are ethics sir. Personal lives, matters not important to national defence such as trade agreements and negotiations of the like. is there any way the trade partnership that America wanted to forge can be honest when Australia, USA and New Zealand already know the positions of the Japanese government.
these are not declassified documents but documents which were gotten through wikileaks. I detest when you defend things which should not be defended and accept them as right. Everyone has biases but spying on anyone unless maybe an enemy which is a direct threat is not right.
All this will do is tighten the Japanese security against electronic leaks and destroy the trust they have in the Americans that took years to make. The way I see it the Japanese people are quiet on the outside but seething on the inside.

Getting caught destroys credibility not spying.

Spying should have limits, especially on allies.

The latest Wikileaks disclosure came at a critical juncture of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations involving Japan and the US, unveiling that the two countries have prominent conflicts of interests in the economic front.

this conflict and the ability of one side to predict the other's answers is not fair or honest in any way, which makes diplomacy and negotiations a lie.

 

[SirHatesALot]

Spying should have limits, especially on allies.

diplomacy

Spying is a crucial part of diplomacy

 

[Gufi]

Spying is a crucial part of diplomacy

wonder which morale realm you come in but there is no diplomacy between allies when there is spying. There is no trust which will fracture every deal, every negotiation, and every gesture will be second guessed.

 

[syedali73]

Do you all ever wonder why only the Chinese Guy here open thread about US Spying in Japan when Japanese Member like @Nihonjin1051 et el don't even care to comment?

Why wonder? Is he not an American? Do we have some 'real' Japanese here on this forum?

 

[jhungary]

even in the spying world there are ethics sir. Personal lives, matters not important to national defence such as trade agreements and negotiations of the like. is there any way the trade partnership that America wanted to forge can be honest when Australia, USA and New Zealand already know the positions of the Japanese government.

these are not declassified documents but documents which were gotten through wikileaks. I detest when you defend things which should not be defended and accept them as right. Everyone has biases but spying on anyone unless maybe an enemy which is a direct threat is not right.
All this will do is tighten the Japanese security against electronic leaks and destroy the trust they have in the Americans that took years to make. The way I see it the Japanese people are quiet on the outside but seething on the inside.


Spying should have limits, especially on allies.

lol, you don't understand......

In the world of espionage, you expect EVERYONE SPIES ON EVERYONE, and the premise of US is actively spying Japan is not a news to the Japanese Internal Security ministry, in NSA, they expected Japan Espionage Agent to made penetration to NSA network as well, the problem is never US spying on something, something But how deep can the US penetrate that deep without the Japanese knowing. (It was a leak, that mean the Japanese did not discover this)

The question you ask is ethic of spying. The problem is, there are none, you will not ask the enemy (for Japan, China, Russia or North Korea) to show ethnic when conduct espionage mission, the question is, which one do you prefer? You rather the leak in your own ministry is to your own allies or to your enemy?

Japan will use this to beef up their COMSEC and nothing more, cause they expect us to do the same in the future, and we also expect them to do the same in the future. It's not about ethics but what you need to get done, and for sure, you prefer your own allies to penetrate than your enemy.

Do bear in mind, your enemy will do just about EVERYTHING to penetrate, and if you want to test your COMSEC or INFOSEC, you would want your allies to do the same. That's the way it has done.

Let me ask you this, do you expect China to be spying on Pakistan? And if they do, would you expect they spied just as much as your enemy - India does?

Those document is quoting a leak in 2007, that's old......and usually document like this will be move from the mainframe and put in achieve, that's how it got intercepted.

I am not justified US Spying everyone, but that is the truth, EVERYONE SPIES ON EVERYONE. At this moment, there are Japanese Agent trying to penetrate US Secure network, there are US Agent trying to penetrate UK secure network, there are of course, Iranian trying to penetrate US secure network, the question is, which one do you prefer to got it in the end?

This is about COMSEC, I don't know how would I make you understand.

Why wonder? Is he not an American? Do we have some 'real' Japanese here on this forum?

He is not an American.

Getting caught destroys credibility not spying.

Japanese did not caught it, it was US leaking those information via Wikileak

 

[Gufi]

Why wonder? Is he not an American? Do we have some 'real' Japanese here on this forum?

he is very Japanese, and has posted a thread on this. The first time I saw any anger was his using bold text to highlight some part of his thread which is common for others but very rare for him to do. Please find and read the part in bold.

n the world of espionage, you expect EVERYONE SPIES ON EVERYONE

no in the world of intelligence, there is intelligence sharing between allies. There was sharing between a few countries mentioned here and they had a combined infrastructure for allies which Japan was not part of and was actually the target off. I understand very much the need for spying on other nations, but that is on certain projects and areas, which do not include trade and diplomatic channels. Not on allies at least.

 

[syedali73]

he is very Japanese, and has posted a thread on this. The first time I saw any anger was his using bold text to highlight some part of his thread which is common for others but very rare for him to do. Please find and read the part in bold.

I you say and Gary says then he must be a Japanese. Through reading some of his posts, I am under the impression that he was an American. At any rate, it is best to have multiple members from one country so one get to read various POVs.

 

[Gufi]

I you say and Gary says then he must be a Japanese. Through reading some of his posts, I am under the impression that he was an American. At any rate, it is best to have multiple members from one country so one get to read various POVs.

He spends time in America as part of his educational endeavours, but is very loyal to his traditions and country. He is like some of us who go to study and live for some time, but remain Pakistani through out.

 

[jhungary]

he is very Japanese, and has posted a thread on this. The first time I saw any anger was his using bold text to highlight some part of his thread which is common for others but very rare for him to do. Please find and read the part in bold.


no in the world of intelligence, there is intelligence sharing between allies. There was sharing between a few countries mentioned here and they had a combined infrastructure for allies which Japan was not part of and was actually the target off. I understand very much the need for spying on other nations, but that is on certain projects and areas, which do not include trade and diplomatic channels. Not on allies at least.

lol someone does not make a penetration, then how do you know there is a leak?

You can build a communication system and claim they cannot be hacked. But in the end, it can only be definitely proven wrong until someone hacked it, and if that happen, answer me this as if you are a Japanese, do you want it to be the American who made the penetration? Or say a Chinese??

Intelligence sharing is one thing, you keep tab on POI and send them to US or some other country with treaty. These type of hacking is not about information, but rather COMSEC. You need someone else to find flaw within your own system. And again, you would rather it be your own allies, than your own enemies.

 

[syedali73]

He spends time in America as part of his educational endeavours, but is very loyal to his traditions and country. He is like some of us who go to study and live for some time, but remain Pakistani through out.

Maybe, my reading is different though.