Post by Sapphire Capital on Jul 16, 2008 22:19:30 GMT 4
Documents released July 8, 2008 by Wikileaks reveal that a US defence contractor may have sold millions of dollars worth of telephone tapping and other surveillance equipment to the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chavez.
The multi-million dollar quotation, addressed to the Venezuelan Director General of Military Intelligence has been verified with military sources. The shipment includes bulk mobile telephone interceptors, satellite telephone interception stations, direction finding trucks, micro-sized video spy cameras, and hundreds of other billable items including training for Venezuelan intelligence officers at the defence contractor's compound in Miami, Florida.
The contractor, Phoenix Worldwide Industries, briefly describes itself on its public website (which lists only its law-enforcement, not intelligence services) as follows:
"Although Phoenix Worldwide Industries has been in business for many years, until now, we've kept ourselves a secret to meet the classified data requirements of the U.S. government intelligence, investigative, and enforcement agencies that have been our principal clients. [1]
Phoenix appears not to have even had a public website until 2006. As the contractor's offer to the Chavez government was made prior to this date, its hiding from the public, but not from foreign governments, hints that the company was fearful exposure of its activities could result in a tightening of export controls or a reduction in domestic surveillance programs. The willingness of the contractor to export to Venezuela also suggests that regimes more sympathetic to the United States may have received advanced surveillance technology. Export familiarity is revealed by three transportation recommendations in the Chavez quotation:
Transportation Method No. 1: Commercially available air transport via 747 Combi direct flight from Miami to Caracas, Venezuela via the U. S. State Department Security Impound at Miami International Airport - Phoenix will deliver the ordered items to Miami International Airport at no charge to the Venezuelan Government.
Transportation Method No. 2: Contract Transportation with the U. S. Air Force (MAC) Military Airlift Command (Phoenix has the availability of Homestead Air Force Base which is four (4) miles from its Manufacturing Plant No. 4). Phoenix will deliver the ordered items to Homestead Air Force Base at no charge to the Venezuelan Government.
Transportation Method No. 3: Transportation with the Venezuelan Air Force Military Airlift Command (Phoenix has the availability of Homestead Air Force Base which is four (4) miles from its Manufacturing Plant No. 4). Phoenix will deliver the ordered items to Homestead Air Force Base at no charge to the Venezuelan Government.
How many of the items were eventually received by Venezuela or whether the shipment was part of an unpublicized deal between Venezuela and the United States is not yet known.
The multi-million dollar quotation, addressed to the Venezuelan Director General of Military Intelligence has been verified with military sources. The shipment includes bulk mobile telephone interceptors, satellite telephone interception stations, direction finding trucks, micro-sized video spy cameras, and hundreds of other billable items including training for Venezuelan intelligence officers at the defence contractor's compound in Miami, Florida.
The contractor, Phoenix Worldwide Industries, briefly describes itself on its public website (which lists only its law-enforcement, not intelligence services) as follows:
"Although Phoenix Worldwide Industries has been in business for many years, until now, we've kept ourselves a secret to meet the classified data requirements of the U.S. government intelligence, investigative, and enforcement agencies that have been our principal clients. [1]
Phoenix appears not to have even had a public website until 2006. As the contractor's offer to the Chavez government was made prior to this date, its hiding from the public, but not from foreign governments, hints that the company was fearful exposure of its activities could result in a tightening of export controls or a reduction in domestic surveillance programs. The willingness of the contractor to export to Venezuela also suggests that regimes more sympathetic to the United States may have received advanced surveillance technology. Export familiarity is revealed by three transportation recommendations in the Chavez quotation:
Transportation Method No. 1: Commercially available air transport via 747 Combi direct flight from Miami to Caracas, Venezuela via the U. S. State Department Security Impound at Miami International Airport - Phoenix will deliver the ordered items to Miami International Airport at no charge to the Venezuelan Government.
Transportation Method No. 2: Contract Transportation with the U. S. Air Force (MAC) Military Airlift Command (Phoenix has the availability of Homestead Air Force Base which is four (4) miles from its Manufacturing Plant No. 4). Phoenix will deliver the ordered items to Homestead Air Force Base at no charge to the Venezuelan Government.
Transportation Method No. 3: Transportation with the Venezuelan Air Force Military Airlift Command (Phoenix has the availability of Homestead Air Force Base which is four (4) miles from its Manufacturing Plant No. 4). Phoenix will deliver the ordered items to Homestead Air Force Base at no charge to the Venezuelan Government.
How many of the items were eventually received by Venezuela or whether the shipment was part of an unpublicized deal between Venezuela and the United States is not yet known.