11 Commission Report Omissions and Distortions Chapter twelve and thirteen Book Summary Essay Example

The 9/11 Commission Report Omissions and Distortions Chapter twelve and thirteen Book Summary Essay Example The 9/11 Commission Report Omissions and Distortions Chapter twelve and thirteen Book Summary Paper The 9/11 Commission Report Omissions and Distortions Chapter twelve and thirteen Book Summary Paper The 9/11 Commission Report Omissions and Distortions Chapter twelve and thirteen Book Summary Chapter 12 For some time the commissions report of Flight 11J F has been a core issue of contention as people try to determine what or who was responsible for the success of the terror attack on American soil and its people in September 11. On one account, the commission argued that the American military forces were not to blame. They faced challenges in their operations and actions such as inadequate prior experience with such a situation, the confusion that ensued after and during the attack and more so, poor communication has also been mentioned as a major contributor to their slow reaction. However, despite the commissions assertion, a closer look highlights a number of loopholes and delays within the response structure and the teams or groups of individuals involved which could have been avoided and eliminated changing the outcome of the day completely. The first hurdle and obstacle to the swift response was that the FAA personnel broke protocol and procedures by failing to alert the proper authorities and the military in this case of a flight that is not communicating and moreover has changed its course of direction. The plane was non responsive to directives from the tower to climb, and even though it was uncommon and vital that the planes signal and radio contact was off. The staff still took no immediate action to deal with the situation as an emergency and instead informed other airlines to try make contact with their flight as they worked on moving planes out of the path of Flight 11 J F. The commission in the defense of the FAA and their actions says at the time the lack of communication was mainly driven by the fact that the staff saw no immediate of impending danger and assumed all was well. But later upon getting intelligible and accurate information from one of the communication transmissions on the flight confirming a hi jacking, the personnel took action choosing to inform their supervisors who thereafter took charge alerting their chain of command as protocol dictated. The issue raised in regards to this action is that, as they waited for a confirmation that there was a threat aboard the plane, none of those involved thought it necessary to inform the military so that preventative action could be take. Their lack of urgency by the FAA personnel therefore led to delays in the military response and overall led to the poorly coordinated efforts, which ultimately allowed the attacks to proceed unimpeded further supporting the commissions argument that the military were not to blame. The FAA management was not required to follow the procedure they took as they had direct access and communication links to the military an aspect ignored by the commission in their assessment of their role in the attack. Another weakness in the commissions report was their explanation of why the military opted to scramble support from an alert center so far away from the city while there was one within the proximity of the attack which would have made action faster and more efficient. The respondents while being questioned also left doubt in the commissions ability to stay impartial and honest for instance having respondents give different accounts of the ordeal in their statements claiming a fault with their memories. There were incidences of coaching and coercion further diminishing the commissions viability as a neutral, dependable and trustworthy investigative body. From the accounts of the day from the commissions perspective a number of inconsistencies are uncovered many of which are in their contradictory statements about the chain of command protocols utilized on that day by the FAA, the claim that there were no fighters within the center that was closest to the city, the claim that the fighters needed permission under such circumstances to assemble and act and the sluggish response from the military taking longer that is deemed necessary and plausible. Moreover, the commission was inactive and inconsistent with their search for the truth and evidence eliminating suspicion that the military did not do all it could as it failed to follow up and assess the legitimacy of claims, presumptions and coincidences. Chapter 13 The inconsistencies in the commissions report do not end with Flight 11 but proceed to the Flight 175 which hit the south tower. There were concerns in the fact that the time frames given by NORAD. Through revisionism historians are able to provide different accounts of what is presented to the public as true showing differences previously ignored or assumed as insignificant or need to know. It is a method recognized when used for the right intent as providing more accurate results and outcomes. Amongst its advantages is that it assesses all evidence available unabashedly and moreover, it ensures to provide evidence through comparison of prior reports thus proving its stance rather than disputing aimlessly. The revisionist account in this case is more realistic as it is more supported by actual facts than the original first account report and also more than the currently existing revisionist developments developed over the recent years. From this approach it becomes evident that the commission only supported and promoted the theories promoted by the original theorists and discards all other evidence and concerns holistically or bends it to suit the outcome desired. The chapter does not however assess the legitimacy of the commissions claims but focuses on the success or failure of any and all attempts the involved parties made to alter the results and deliver fallacies through omission and distortion. The commission in this case is accused of being but a tool and platform the military successfully adopted to rid itself of all blame, suspicion, and responsibility of the attacks. In the case of Flight 175, the commission defended the military for their slow response claiming though assembled in prime time, they were delayed by the fact that their target location had not been communicated and thus they were delayed by the wait for direction ad a directive from their senior officer. The critics argument is that though this may have been true, the commission should have provided substantive explanation and factual evidence to explain this lack or failure in communication. Furthermore, reports indicate that even with the lack of timely information on their target direction, the fighter planes had sufficient time to get to the Flight 175 before it hit the south tower at the time of their receiving the coordinates. The statements of the fighter pilots, NORAD and the commission are all contradictory in explaining the failure to perform as was necessary and expected the commission opting to alter a previous statement to state their arrival to the scene was only after the south tower had already been hit. The commission in light of its mandate to find and stand by the truth opted to desert the previous statements as falsehoods without any explanation and instead supported the military account of things. The different narrations from various groups the commission disputes and asks the public and the critics to believe their account as the gospel truth all the while neglecting to provide any evidence or facts to support their claims on time, response and respondents and some major loopholes in the different reports provided throughout the investigations. The revisionists also argue that the commissions argument that the Flight 175 did not change course nor did the transponder fail to communicate is misguided and untrue as the FAA personnel should then have been able to track the plane and therefore no need to report it hijacked. The gaps are many and the commission is vague in all attempts if any to explain why any of the events took place as they define in their account. From all accou nts, the questions and doubts as to the viability and accuracy of the commission report was brought forth and the skepticism from historians and other critics is still a reality. The commissions insistence on absolving the military of any blame inevitable paints a vivid picture of the FAAs incompetence in managing the situation and in alerting the military so as to take appropriate and immediate action. However, from the evidence provided by the revisionists and critics, the commissions bias is obvious and their lack of neutrality outright.

Idioms and Expressions Using Have for ESL

Idioms and Expressions Using Have for ESL The following idioms and expressions use the verb have. Each idiom or expression has a definition and two example sentences to help your  understanding of these common idiomatic expressions with have. English Idioms and Expressions Using Have have a big mouth Definition: somebody who tells secrets, who is a gossip Dont talk to Mary she has a big mouth.If you didnt have such a big mouth, Id tell you my secrets. have a bee in your bonnet Definition: have an obsession, something that always remains in your thoughts and efforts She has a bee in her bonnet that health care must change.If I have a bee in my bonnet, I have to do everything I can until I can make it happen. have a bone to pick with someone Definition: have something (usually a complaint) that you want to discuss with someone I have a bone to pick with you. Just a moment, lets talk.Toms looking for Pete because hes got a bone to pick with him. have a brush with something Definition: have brief contact, or experience with someone or something I had a brief brush with Jack and I didnt like it.Hes had a brief brush with unemployment. have a chip on your shoulder Definition: be in a bad mood and challenging people to fight Dont take him seriously, he just has a chip on his shoulder.Yes, I have a chip on my shoulder! What are YOU going to do about it?! have a close call Definition: be close to danger I had a close call yesterday and was almost in an accident.Shes had a few close calls in her life. have a familiar ring Definition: sound familiar, as if youve heard it before That story has a familiar ring. Did we read that last year?Her experiences have a familiar ring. I guess everybody goes through that. have a good head on your shoulders Definition: have common sense, be sensible Jack has a good head on his shoulders. Dont worry about him.I think you have a good head on your shoulders. You should trust your decision. have a green thumb Definition: be very good at gardening Alice obviously has a green thumb. Look at that garden!My wife has a green thumb, so I let her do all the gardening. have a heart Definition: be compassionate or generous and forgiving with somebody Dont hold that against her. Have a heart!I think hell have a heart and forgive you. have a heart of gold Definition: be generous and sincere Mary has a heart of gold. I just love her.The teacher has a heart of gold with her students. have a heart of stone Definition: be cold and unresponsive, unforgiving Dont make him angry. He has a heart of stone.I cant believe how he treats his children. Hes got a heart of stone. have an ax to grind Definition: complain about something often He has an ax to grind against his health care provider.I know you have an ax to grind against Agatha, but stop complaining! have an in with someone Definition: have special access to someone (often used at work) She has an in with the boss. Let her ask him for permission.I wish I had an in with the director so I could get a promotion. have a one-track mind Definition: always thinking about one thing He has a one track mind. He cant talk about anything besides golf.Do you have a one-track mind? have a soft spot in your heart for someone or something Definition: love or adore a thing or person Ive got a soft spot in my heart for Maria Callas.He has a soft spot in his heart for pinball! have a sweet tooth Definition: like sweets too much I know you have a sweet tooth, but you need to be careful.I need to watch my weight, especially because I have a sweet tooth. have clean hands Definition: to without guilt, guiltless Dont blame him, he has clean hands.The man claimed to have clean hands in the crime. have egg on ones face Definition: be embarrassed after having done something very stupid I had egg on my face after I asked that stupid question.I dont think he realizes he has egg on his face. have eyes in the back of your head Definition: seem able to follow everything that is going on, even though you do not focus on it She has eyes in the back of her head. Be careful!The students believed their teacher had eyes in the back his head. have mixed feelings Definition: to be uncertain about something or someone Janice has mixed feelings about Ken.Brad has mixed feelings about buying a new car. have money to burn Definition: have an excess of money Dont worry about it! Shes got money to burn.Do you think I have money to burn?! Of course, I cant buy you a diamond ring. have your hands tied Definition: be prevented from doing something Im afraid I have my hands tied and cant help you.Peter told me he had his hands tied on the Franklin deal. have your head in the clouds Definition: to not pay attention to what is going on around you Doug had his head in the clouds all the time he was at university.Do you have your head in the clouds?! Pay attention! have your tail between your leg Definition: be afraid of something, not have the ​courage to do something He just couldnt approach her. He seemed to have his tail between his legs.Janet went to her father with her tail between her legs and asked for forgiveness. have other fish to fry Definition: have more important things to do, have other opportunities Look. I have other fish to fry, so just say yes or no.Susan had other fish to fry and left her position at the bank. have someone or something in your hands Definition: have the responsibility for someone or something I have the project in my hands. If you have any questions, come to me.She had her boyfriend in her hands. She could do anything. have the Midas touch Definition: have the ability to easily be successful Hell succeed. Hes got the Midas touch.Ask her to approach those difficult clients. She has the Midas touch. have the presence of mind to do something Definition: stay calm in a dangerous or frightening, or emergency situation He had the presence of mind to cover her up before he went to find help.Alice has the presence of mind to take along some extra food before setting out on the hike.

E learning Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

E learning - Thesis Example Despite these strengths and opportunities, e-learning faces several distinct barriers. These barriers will be explored in this paper. Diverse barriers to e-learning can prevent or delay the effective design or implementation of e-learning programs. This section discusses some of the widespread categories of hindrances to e-learning. Table 1 shows the various barriers to e-learning that are arranged according to publication. Inadequate technological tools, such as lack of computers, and poor or limited Internet availability can impede the adoption of e-learning. Poorly designed e-learning programs are barriers to e-learning too. The learning system for e-learning must be applied to preservice teaching, and if not, there will be problems in the design and implementation of e-learning. In India, schools do not have sufficient equipment for delivering e-learning, especially in rural areas, and bandwidth problems are also widespread concerns. The absence of a reliable ICT infrastructure shapes e-learning adoption similarly. Negative stereotypes against older learners impact the participation of older students in e-learning platforms (334). Lack of ICT knowledge and skills among older students are barriers to e-learning too. Teachers are more likely to implement e-learning, if it is aligned with public educations policies and standards. KSA must go over the possibility of mandating e-learning across public education levels to enhance its adoption. Differences in policies and implementation because of administrative dimensions can affect e-learning diffusion. Poor professional development toward e-learning can be attributed to the organization because of lack of resources and/or political will and unity. Teachers may not adopt e-learning if they do not see that the administration as supportive to the skills training and other needs of e-learning platform. Poor alignment between e-learning goals and curriculum can hinder e-learning effectiveness. Table 1 shows

Explore Theatre In Education And Consider It's Role Within Primary Dissertation

Explore Theatre In Education And Consider It's Role Within Primary Schools - Dissertation Example In fact, all of the research survey respondents revealed that they strongly consider theatre in education as an important strategy in terms of enhancing the learning experience of Key Stage 1 and 2 students. Although majority with 51 out of 89 or 57.30% of the research survey respondents believe that the benefit of using this teaching and learning technique outweighs the economic consequences of incorporating this strategy in the National Curriculum, some of the research survey respondents are not supporting the idea that the National Curriculum should make it compulsory for each of the state school to expose Key Stage 1 and 2 to Theatre in Education programmes because of financial issues. Table of Contents Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 Table of Contents †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 I. Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 a. Purpose of this Study ................................................. 6 b. Research Objective(s) ................................................ 6 c. Research Questions .................................................. 7 d. Rationale for Choosing the Research Topic .............. 8 e. Report Plan ............................................................... 9 e.1 Introduction ................................................... ... History and Developments of Theatre in Education †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 12 b. Advantages and Disadvantages of Theatre in Education . 14 b.1 Advantages of Theatre in Education †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 b.2 Disadvantages of Theatre in Education †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 18 b.2.1 Internal and External Conflicts between the Local Primary Schools and the Government with Regards to Funding †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 18 b.2.2 Not all Primary Schools were Availing the Services of Theatre Companies †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19 b. Views of the National Curriculums with Regards to Integrating Theatre Exposure in the Curriculum of Primary School Students †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 c. Existing Companies that Provides Theatre in Education Services for Primary Students in UK ..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 21 d.1 Aesop Touring Theatre Company †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 22 d.2 Johnny Ball Production †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 23 d.3 Kinetic Theatre Company †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 23 II. Research Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 25 a. Primary Research Method ............................................... 25 a.1 Target Population and Sample Size ............. 27 a.2 Site of the Research Study ........................... 28 a.3 Evaluation Method ........................................ 29 b. Secondary Research Method ........................................... 29 c. Ethical Considerations Applied when Conducting the Actual Research Study ..................................................... 29 III. Research Findings and Discussion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 31 IV. Conclusion and Recommendations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 35 Appendix I – National Curriculum for Primary Students †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 37 Appendix II – List of Satisfied Primary Schools

How can hotels be more profitable by using recycling material Essay

How can hotels be more profitable by using recycling material - Essay Example Apart from the food wastes, materials like plastics, broken glasses, aluminum utensils and cardboards are often produced in the hotel industries. Some of these materials when disposed into the environment are harmful to biotic life and eventually result into health problems. The surrounding of the hotel will not be very pleasant and this alone is necessary to drive away clients into other competing hotels. The costs of proper disposal of the waste are also high in some instances causing the overall production cost to be high. A better approach to manage the disposal of waste in order to reduce the overall production cost by the hotel and other industries is through recycling of the waste products. Recycling is the process where by the waste materials from an industry are collected and channeled back as raw materials for the production of new products (Townsend, 1993, p10). These materials would otherwise be buried or burnt as a means of disposal. The recycling process has three main steps. The first is to collect the materials that can be reused. There are those materials that seem to be too won out that do not need to be recycled. The next step is to process the materials into a form that can be reused and the last step is to obtain and use the recycled materials. These are basically the processes involved in recycling in hotels (Townsend, 1993, p10). A point of concern is then to consider how recycling of materials can be effectively adopted by the hotels and how this adoption helps them in maximizing their returns. This is the major issue addressed in the paper. 2. Literature Review The cost of production in barely all sectors of the economy has increased posing economic challenges to organizations in various industries. The cost of raw materials as well as that of transportation has increased in the recent past largely contributing to this increase in the cost of production. Various industries produce wastes which are discharged to the environment posing he alth problems. The supposed consumers of the products of a given company will develop a negative image of the company if it has a filthy surrounding. It is then required that the industries adopt a system of disposal of waste that does have adverse effect on the environment. Unfortunately, the modern means of waste disposal is not always cheap resulting into yet another increase in the cost of production. Besides, some of the materials that are often discharged by companies can be still processed and used for the similar or other purposes by the company or the surrounding community (Townsend, 1993). Recycling of materials in industries is one of the strategic approaches to ensuring sustainability in the organization. The materials that would otherwise be wasted can be put back to the same or different use after some reprocessing. The process has several advantages not only to the organization but also to the community in which the organization is established (Townsend, 1993). Materi als like cardboard, plastic, glass, and aluminum are often produced in hotels and can be recycled. This will yield some saving to the hotels management. The management will liaise with some company that offers the recycling services which will in turn supply the hotel with the recycled products at a reduced cost. Alternatively, the waste products can be sold to the recycling companies providing yet another source of revenue. The recycling of mate

An Analysis of Night by Elie Wiesel Essay Example for Free

An Analysis of Night by Elie Wiesel Essay â€Å"One day as I was looking in a mirror, I didn’t recognize myself†¦I then decided that since everything changes—even the face in the mirror changes—someone must speak about that change. Someone must speak about the former and that someone is I. I shall not speak about all the other things but I should speak, at least, about that face and that mirror and that change. That’s when I knew that I was going to write.† Elie Wiesel in Conversation with Elie Wiesel â€Å"I owe them my roots and memory. I am duty-bound to serve as their emissary, transmitting the history of their disappearance, even if it disturbs, even if it brings pain. Not to do so would be to betray them, and thus myself.† Elie Wiesel, â€Å"Why I Write,† in Confronting the Holocaust: The Impact of Elie Wiesel One of the primary themes or messages Elie Wiesel said he has tried to deliver with Night is that all human beings have the responsibility to share with others how their past experiences have changed their identity and how those experiences affect others. Wiesel believes that, in order to understand the true impact of the Holocaust, survivors like himself must serve as messengers to current and future generations by â€Å"bearing witness† to the events of the Holocaust and by explaining how those events changed each individual’s identity. II-Pre-Writing assignment: Personal Inventories Before writing your autobiographical sketch, all students must complete 10 Personal Inventories that describe the important people, places, experiences, lessons, etc. in each person’s life. Since these inventories could include sensitive or private information, they will checked for credit but will not be read by anyone except the student who wrote them. III-Autobiographical Sketch Write a story about an experience that affected you deeply and ought to be known by others. The story can be written in prose, can be a poem, can be a short story, can be a song, or another approved form of written artistic expression. In writing that story, answer the following questions: Provide context: what was the year? how old were you? Where did you live? what were the circumstances surrounding the experience? Re-tell the experience from beginning (exposition, rising action) to end (climax, falling action, resolution): what happened? who was involved? when? where? why did it happen? Reflection: what were your thoughts about the story at the time it happened? what are your thoughts about the story now? Share the moral or lesson: how does your story relate to the way you see yourself and others? W hat did you learn? what lessons does your story teach others? The sketch must be typed, point size 12, and double-spaced. The story is due on the day of the final.

Echelon: Considerations with International Communications Monitoring :: Technology

Echelon: Considerations with International Communications Monitoring Introduction Since the invention of radio, intelligence-gathering organizations have been developing and using eavesdropping techniques to intercept and review wireless communications. Initially, these capabilities were solely used to spy on hostile nations, and particularly for military purposes. Human operators had to manually review each transmission, and cryptanalysts pored over military ciphers in an attempt to decode important messages. As wireless communication has become an integral part of commercial and individual existence, and potential threats to security are increasingly found in peacetime and on home ground, the scope of this intelligence gathering has likewise broadened. One of the most controversial eavesdropping systems in existence is a classified project known as ‘Echelon.’ Its use of computer hardware and software to filter communications from all over the world brings up many ethical issues related to the impact of computers on privacy. Overview of Echelon Most of the evidence for Echelon is circumstantial, though a few facts have been established. The participating organizations (notably the US Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency) have neither confirmed nor denied its existence. In lieu of a discussion of the ethical issues, a brief summary of the current knowledge follows. How it Works Echelon is the product of Cold War efforts to monitor wireless communications in the USSR. It traces its roots back to the clandestine UKUSA alliance, a communications intelligence agreement that dates back from around 1947. Member nations include the US, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is now known that the system has been in existence for at least 20 years.[1] In the past, high frequency radio listening posts were also used to listen to radio communications. Currently, the system is composed of a series of eavesdropping satellites, ground listening stations, and supercomputers that intercept and sift through telecommunications satellite broadcasts. These broadcasts include faxes, phone calls, and web traffic- especially those dispatched over long distances.[2] The term Echelon has never actually been mentioned by officials, but is believed to represent the computer system that manages the data gathered by the network.[3] The computers are used to store and ana lyze text data for key words, and to review telephone conversations for unique ‘voiceprints’ or the phone numbers of persons under surveillance.[4] This makes it possible to filter an enormous amount of traffic, since human analysts review only relevant messages. The US National Security Agency (NSA) is widely considered to be both the originator and head of the project, and likely owns and operates the major computer facilities for Echelon. Echelon: Considerations with International Communications Monitoring :: Technology Echelon: Considerations with International Communications Monitoring Introduction Since the invention of radio, intelligence-gathering organizations have been developing and using eavesdropping techniques to intercept and review wireless communications. Initially, these capabilities were solely used to spy on hostile nations, and particularly for military purposes. Human operators had to manually review each transmission, and cryptanalysts pored over military ciphers in an attempt to decode important messages. As wireless communication has become an integral part of commercial and individual existence, and potential threats to security are increasingly found in peacetime and on home ground, the scope of this intelligence gathering has likewise broadened. One of the most controversial eavesdropping systems in existence is a classified project known as ‘Echelon.’ Its use of computer hardware and software to filter communications from all over the world brings up many ethical issues related to the impact of computers on privacy. Overview of Echelon Most of the evidence for Echelon is circumstantial, though a few facts have been established. The participating organizations (notably the US Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency) have neither confirmed nor denied its existence. In lieu of a discussion of the ethical issues, a brief summary of the current knowledge follows. How it Works Echelon is the product of Cold War efforts to monitor wireless communications in the USSR. It traces its roots back to the clandestine UKUSA alliance, a communications intelligence agreement that dates back from around 1947. Member nations include the US, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is now known that the system has been in existence for at least 20 years.[1] In the past, high frequency radio listening posts were also used to listen to radio communications. Currently, the system is composed of a series of eavesdropping satellites, ground listening stations, and supercomputers that intercept and sift through telecommunications satellite broadcasts. These broadcasts include faxes, phone calls, and web traffic- especially those dispatched over long distances.[2] The term Echelon has never actually been mentioned by officials, but is believed to represent the computer system that manages the data gathered by the network.[3] The computers are used to store and ana lyze text data for key words, and to review telephone conversations for unique ‘voiceprints’ or the phone numbers of persons under surveillance.[4] This makes it possible to filter an enormous amount of traffic, since human analysts review only relevant messages. The US National Security Agency (NSA) is widely considered to be both the originator and head of the project, and likely owns and operates the major computer facilities for Echelon.