The narrow
roads are quiet and winding, surrounded by rolling green fields and
few visible signs of life beyond the occasional herd of sheep. But on
the horizon, massive white golf ball-like domes protrude from the
earth, protected behind a perimeter fence that is topped with
piercing razor wire. Here, in the heart of the tranquil English
countryside, is the National Security Agency’s largest overseas
spying base.
Once known
only by the code name Field Station 8613, the secret base — now
called Menwith Hill Station — is located about nine miles west of
the small town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. Originally used to
monitor Soviet communications through the Cold War, its focus has
since dramatically shifted, and today it is a vital part of the NSA’s
sprawling global surveillance network.
For years,
journalists and researchers have speculated about what really goes on
inside Menwith Hill, while human rights groups and some politicians
have campaigned for more transparency about its activities. Yet the
British government has steadfastly refused to comment, citing a
longstanding policy not to discuss matters related to national
security.
Now,
however, top-secret documents obtained by The Intercept offer an
unprecedented glimpse behind Menwith Hill’s razor wire fence. The
files reveal for the first time how the NSA has used the British base
to aid “a significant number of capture-kill operations” across
the Middle East and North Africa, fueled by powerful eavesdropping
technology that can harvest data from more than 300 million emails
and phone calls a day.
Full
report:
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