Exporting warrantless spying to Mexico and why Obrador lost the election
amlo (andrés manuel lópez obrador) wouldn't have given the u.s. the time of day on a issue like this... in fact, he probably would have had the u.s. officials who proposed it bodily removed, but i'm sure felipe calderón just rolled over... and, in case anyone had any doubt, THIS is the reason amlo "lost" the mexican presidential election last july (here, here, here, here, here, and here), the reason you can be SURE the u.s. had a hand in his defeat, and WHY the u.s. was so intent on installing a conservative mexican president...
Mexico is expanding its ability to tap telephone calls and e-mail using money from the U.S. government, a move that underlines how the country's conservative government is increasingly willing to cooperate with United States on law enforcement.
The expansion comes as President Felipe Calderon is pushing to amend Mexico's constitution to allow officials to tap phones without a judge's approval in some cases.
Mexican authorities for years have been able to wiretap most telephone conversations and tap into e-mail, but the new $3 million Communications Intercept System being installed by Mexico's Federal Investigative Agency would expand its reach.
The system would allow authorities to track cell-phone users as they travel, according to the contract specifications. It would include extensive storage capacity and allow authorities to identify callers by voice. The system, scheduled to begin operation within the next month, was paid for by the U.S. State Department and sold by Verint Systems Inc., a politically connected company based in Melville, N.Y., that specializes in electronic surveillance.
Documents describing the upgrade suggest that the U.S. government could have access to information derived from the surveillance. Officials of both governments declined to comment on that possibility.
disgusting...
(thanks to talkleft...)
Labels: 2006 Mexican presidential election, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, domestic spying, Felipe Calderón, warrantless domestic wiretapping
Submit To PropellerTweet