From: Carey Lening (carey@tstonramp.com)
Date: Sun Feb 20 2000 - 02:33:06 PST
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http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/0002/19/A27800-2000Feb19.shtml
US secret agents work at Microsoft: French intelligence
Source: AFP | Published: Saturday February 19, 7:44 AM
PARIS, Feb 18 - A French intelligence report today accused US secret
agents of working with computer giant Microsoft to develop software
allowing Washington to spy on communications around the world.
The report, drawn up by the Strategic Affairs Delegation (DAS), the
intelligence arm of the French Defence Ministry, was quoted in
today's edition of the news-letter Le Monde du Renseignement
(Intelligence World).
Written by a senior officer at the DAS, the report claims agents from
the National Security Agency (NSA) helped install secret programmes
on Microsoft software, currently in use in 90 per cent of computers.
According to the report there was a 'strong suspicion' of a lack of
security fed by insistent rumours about the existence of spy programs
on Microsoft, and by the presence of NSA personnel in Bill Gates'
development teams.
The NSA protects communications for the US government, and also
intercepts electronic messages for the Defence Department and other
US intelligence agencies, the newsletter said.
According to the report, 'it would seem that the creation of
Microsoft was largely supported, not least financially, by the NSA,
and that IBM was made to accept the (Microsoft) MS-DOS operating
system by the same administration.'
The report claimed the Pentagon was Microsoft's biggest client in the
world.
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