Surviellance - Five eyes.

The word surveillance comes from a French phrase for "watching over" - sur means "from above" and veiller is the verb "to watch." Surveillance (/sərˈveɪ.əns/ or /sərˈveɪləns/) is the monitoring of behaviour, activities, or other changing information for the purpose of influencing, managing, directing, or protecting people. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment (such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras) or interception of electronically transmitted information (such as  or phone calls). It can also include simple no- or relatively low-technology methods such as human intelligence agents and postal interception.

OK Wikki - I get it. I understand what surveillance is. I understand the need for it in the modern world. We have to be protected from the bad guys. Surveillance is used by governments for intelligence gathering, prevention of crime, the protection of a process, person, group or object, or the investigation of crime. It is also used by criminal organisations to plan and commit crimes, such as robbery and kidnapping. And by businesses to gather intelligence. 

I have never been worried about being constantly monitored. I like to think that I am one of the good guys.  I have worked for several Government administrations since the late 1970's, so have always been bound by The Official Secrets Act but anyway, I live by the Ten rules prescribed to Moses, so I am unlikely to stray far from the pathway. I understand the need for Civil Liberties groups to work to protect the oppressed in Totalitarian regimes - I also understand why they try to curb the excesses of Western surveillance of our own people.  I cannot help but say that when we are monitoring people within our own borders, it is not without good cause for concern. Recent sting operations have saved many lives from planned terrorist attacks. Some have been executed to devastating effect. When they have - it has not been due to lack of effort on the part of our homeland security services.

In 1946, after the need for code-breaking at Bletchley Park, which served to bring early closure to the war with Germany, a new organisation came into being.  Five Eyes, (FVEY) was a multilateral agreement for cooperation in signals intelligence between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The origins of the FVEY can be traced back to the post- war period, when the Atlantic Charter was issued by the Allies to lay out their goals for a post-war world. During the course of the Cold War, the ECHELON surveillance system was initially developed by the FVEY to monitor the communications of the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. Third party arrangements were made in later years include other countries such as The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and West Germany. A fictionalized Nine Eyes, with a different list of member states (including South Africa and China), was a key plot device in the 2015 film Spectre. The humour is not lost on me.

In 2013, documents leaked by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the existence of numerous surveillance programs jointly operated by the Five Eyes.

• PRISM – Operated by the NSA together with the GCHQ and the ASD
• Tempora – Operated by the GCHQ with contributions from the NSA
• MUSCULAR – Operated by the GCHQ and the NSA
• STATEROOM – Operated by the ASD, CIA, CSE, GCHQ, and NSA

It was revealed that FVEY have monitored many prominent people whose behaviour might be subversive, including Charlie Chaplin, Nelson Mandela, Ali Khomeini, Jane Fonda, John Lennon, Diana Princess of Wales and even German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It is quite an eclectic list.

Despite being nearly 70 years old, very little is known about the alliance and the agreements that bind them. While the existence of the agreement has been noted in history books and references are often made to it as part of reporting on the intelligence agencies, there is little knowledge or understanding outside the services themselves of exactly what the arrangement comprises.

Even within the governments of the respective countries, which the intelligence agencies are meant to serve, there has historically been little appreciation for the extent of the arrangement. In fact, it is so secretive that no government officially acknowledged the arrangement by name until 1999. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden described the FVEY as a "supra-national intelligence organisation that doesn't answer to the laws of its own countries". "I always feel like somebody's watching me!"

Five Eyes

Where do you go to my lovely

when you get out of you bed,
to slip into the shadows  
of the unknown web. 

I see your deception,
I know about the lies,
I see everything –
All the habits you disguise.

I know about your weakness.

The corruption in your art,
I know about the fury
that you carry in your heart.

I am watching very closely now,

I monitor your calls,
I see you through the cameras
embedded in your walls.

My satellites pursue you,

I follow where you lead,
My drones fly high above you,
record each breath you breath.

There is nothing you can do now,
I have you in my sights,
Think of me at bedtime
when you’re turning off your lights.


Thanks for reading.  Adele