NSA To Deny Bugging Diana's Phone

Official Tells CBS News Agency Had Files On Princess Because She Came Up In Others' Conversations

(CBS/AP)  The National Security Agency is working on a statement that will deny eavesdropping on Princess Diana, a U.S. intelligence official tells CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

An official British report into the crash that killed Princess Diana concluded that a U.S. intelligence agency was bugging Diana's phone without the approval of its British counterpart on the night of her death, according to British newspaper reports.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was filed with the NSA in 1998, asking for any files the agency had on her, the official tells Martin. The response acknowledged that the NSA had files on her. However, the NSA will say it had files on her not because she was being monitored, but because her name was mentioned by other people in conversations that were being monitored.

British newspaper reports say 39 classified transcripts held by an unspecified U.S. agency contain no new information about how the princess died.

CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar says it's long been rumored that Princess Diana's work as an anti-land mine campaigner brought her to the attention of the CIA, and it's been widely reported that British authorities were monitoring her closely.

Crispin Black, a former U.K. government intelligence analyst, told CBS News there are two possible motives for the U.S. government to have interest in monitoring Diana.

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Photos: Remembering Diana
Why Would The U.S. Bug A Princess?

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The first is a simple request from the British government to keep tabs on a former member of the royal family who was stripped of her official security detail, but who they still felt obligated to keep safe.

"Most likely we asked the Americans, 'Look, while she is traveling in America or while she is traveling in parts of the world where our electronic reach doesn't get to, could you keep an eye on her?' And if that is the case, that's interesting but not sinister," Black said.

On the other hand, he pointed out that the contacts in the world of international arms dealing, which Diana may have made in her campaign against land mines, or her research into a formerly legal weapon used by the Pentagon, could have been impetus for surveillance by U.S. agencies — with or without British consent.

Black said if the United States was, in fact, monitoring Diana's conversations without consent from a sister agency in Britain, it "will cause a bit of a spat, not a huge one, but perhaps discussions behind closed doors in Washington."

He added that the British government's response will be a bit more dramatic if it's discovered the U.S. was spying on Diana on U.K. soil.

It isn't know which U.S. agency carried out the alleged phone tapping in France, but Black said that across the American intelligence apparatus, "more than 1,000 pages" are held on the late princess.

But now, the reports of monitoring may become a diplomatic embarrassment, MacVicar reports. With both the British and the French likely to ask what the U.S. was doing and why, for conspiracists, it's given them one more reason to believe that Diana's death was not an accident.

[themartyred]

WAR KILLS

God bless the legacy of Princess Diana

some good stickers I found
www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable

[emhawks]

Why would her work as an anti-land mine campaigner be of interest to the CIA??

[galaxiana]

emhawks asks, "Why would her work as an anti-land mine campaigner be of interest to the CIA??"

----------

Maybe because the CIA plants many of the land mines? ;)

Further proof that the CIA interferes where it shouldn't - regardless of her anti-landmine (pardon the pun) stance.

[itchybrain]

The CIA tapped Diana's phones because of her an anti-land mine campaigning? I hope the press raises holy hell over this obsurdity (nah, they're sucking off the corporate teat and will ignore it). This is just more evidence that nobody is safe from US government intrusion and we're all doomed to the fascist rule they are implementing behind our backs.

It's time to re-think the idea that the government can tap anyone without oversight because of 'the war on terrorism'.

I'm sure the right wing nuts will find nothing wrong with this stupidity and even defend it because they don't think they have anything to lose... but then again, they're not very deep thinkers... those proven dimwits stick their fingers in their ears as they sell out their own country.

After reading nonsense like this, I'm more afraid of my own government than I am of terrorists. I guess it's time to put on my tin foil hat and join the rest of the paranoids out there... we live in very scary times.

[oleander8]

And these wire taps were in the era of having to have a warrant before tapping? Who issued the warrant/s and what was the justification for them? Who is to be held accountable? I'm disgusted and, once again, profoundly disappointed in my government.

[firststate]

Makes you wonder. Why do they call it intelligence?

Perhaps the CIA should focus on terrorists instead of rich/famous people.

It makes me angry to think that they wasted resources monitoring Lady Di instead of terrorists such as Osama Bin Laden etc.

No wonder 9/11 happened - the CIA was probably too busy monitoring Hollywood Movie Stars who thought George Bush was an idiot.

[bluestardad]

who cares must be low on news!

[oleander8]

janem4 - you really should take your pills.

[nothappyatall]

ronin10; if he simply changed his/her name then complaints didn't really work, did they?

Fear OUR Govt or take steps to ensure the regime in power is totally removed and dealt with, the recent elections were a start.
Imagine that, we SPYING on Princess Diana, there really is NO limit to the things this country will do, including illegal wiretaps on US citizens.

[aeasus]

First CIA, now it's Secret Service. How can we tap European phone lines without consent? Can British authorities tap our lines without the approval of our government? Or any country for that matter?

I hope Diana lies in peace. She most certainly is missed.

[kcstan11]

Shades of J. Edgar Hoover!!!

[huskerarmy]

"Another non-story by CBS."

"Can British authorities tap our lines without the approval of our government?"

Rest assured that if it were discovered, the righties would consider it an outragous abomination and not a "non-story."

[huskerarmy]

"At any rate folks, this went on during the clinton administration. Let's remember that."

So I read this and I thought, "Are people blaming Bush for this?" Then I looked back at all the posts and it seems that eveyone was blaming the CIA, not Bush. So it seems that to the majority of posters here, it's wrong no matter who was in the oval office. Apparently to Jane, it's not a big deal, but if it were, we should remember that Clinton was in office. Things that make you go "hummm?"

[perception5]

I don't understand how these illegal wiretaps could have occurred during the Clinton administration??
We've always been told by our liberal MSM wolfpack that only Republicans did this......... so this story must be a lie.....or.... maybe it's some "vast right-wing" conspricacy......

aeasus wrote:

"First CIA, now it's Secret Service. How can we tap European phone lines without consent? Can British authorities tap our lines without the approval of our government? Or any country for that matter?"

I recall seeing a documentary a few years ago that covered this very thing - I think it was called "Echelon: The Secret Power".

Basically, the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand are listening in on communications and sharing the information.

Some links:

http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/senate/8789/sunday1.htm
http://www.dokumentarkino.no/andre/Echelon-TheSecretPower.htm
http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/97BRglw.html

[wallyhacker]

newster1--the regime in power at the time this all happened was not the current administration. Maybe Bill Clinton was looking for a hot date. Or maybe the secret service was legitimately concerned about people who might have tried to leverage the relationship between Dodi Fayed and the Princess to do harm to the US or UK. Nah, it had to be that he was looking for a date. It was Clinton, after all, who was the president.

[heresmy2cent]

If our government taps the phones of people like Princess Diana, where does that leave the rest of us "regular" citizens?

[grazinggoat]

frightening, really.

[jhindson1]

It figures

The USA even taps phones of US citizens without warrant. - they probably have the Queen's phone tapped too as a possible terrorist...

[antoniof123]

I am sorry but I have to say this it is just to funny to pass up. They were practicing getting ready for us. Come on we have been doing this kind of stuff for years. It is now that in information age the ability for anyone to mine the data that it is now within our grasp to find out things for ourselves. Some of you seem suprised, you should not be we Americans have truly led a sheltered life have we not?

[huskerarmy]

"newster1--the regime in power at the time this all happened was not the current administration."

It's so telling that righties so often have to know who was involved before they can determine the moral implications of the malfeasance itself.

[jtnewcomb]

No wonder 911 happened, they were to busy snooping on a wonderful person like Diana. They should have been snooping on Bin Laden, but they clearly have no professionalism (CIA).

[jtnewcomb]

No wonder 911 happened, they were to busy snooping on a wonderful person like Diana. They should have been snooping on Bin Laden, but they clearly have no professionalism (CIA).

[pendragon679]

First of all, why is this even news? It's been nine years; why can't we all just let this woman rest in peace?
Second, why is Princess Di still in the news nine years after her death? Mother Theresa died the same day. Why isn't her name still in the news?

[thgdriver]

Best thing that I get out of all this is the fact that this proves your good old boy President Bill C was doing the same thing in his admin. that President Bush is. I knew they have been doing this for years. Bush was unable to say because the information they have learned over the last 50 years is confidential.

[cathaleen]

This was pre-911 - they had nothing else to do.

[thgdriver]

pendragon679

"Mother Theresa died the same day. Why isn't her name still in the news"?

Mabey she did not have any phones!

[thgdriver]

sorry, maybe!

[thgdriver]

Why is every body so surprised? We know our goverment was taping the phones of the Japanese in 1940/41, thats 66 years ago, with todays technology, of course they listen in to us all from time to time, is it wrong? Sure, but what are you going to do about it?

[perception5]

So Clinton was illegally tapping Diana's phone while the terrorist planned 9/11.........
What do all you "self-rightous" liberals think of that???? Please advise.......... we need some good excuses........

[oleander8]

To: perception5

My Go-d, I find posts like yours annoying. What this has to do with being a liberal is beyond me. There are noxious politicians on both sides of the aisle at any given time. Right now there happen to be more in the Bush administration's party. It will switch again like it always does. The only way to slow it down, or make it happen less frequently is with TERM LIMITS. Stop Liberal bashing for the sake of bashing and say something constructive.

[thgdriver]

perception5

When they found President Bush doing it they all wanted a rope to hang him with.

Turns out slick Billy C was doing the same dam# thing, and now our posts are annoying. Reading this thing about Diana's phones is better then a Christmas bonus!!

[gaye5]

We will never know the truth, even if they are actually telling it. There have been toooo many lies told by authorities and governments to the people over centuries and because of that the people simply don't trust, and with very good reasons...
Because of this lack of trust, to most of the world Diana will always be considered murdered, regardless of if she was or not.
It is terrible to think that we elect these people to government and we cant trust them, nor can we trust them to tell the truth, even when they might be, but they have done it to themselves...
I would love to hear what the drivers parents have to say about his drinking habits, I have read that he was not a drinker, others say that he was not that irresponsible to drink while in charge of such an important person, let a lone to excess... we will never know and they cannot afford to let us know.

[ceekuei]

It does not come as a surprise that the NSA was bugging Diana and is now denying it. It is the very nature of NSA's existence to be involved in such matters and then disavowed all knowledge about it later. For heaven's sake, the woman is dead, let her rest in peace!

[dlbarber1954]

We Americans are a long, long way from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson here. We are dealing with an out-of-control, arrogant government which responds only peripherally to elections. Sadly, given the fact that we do still hold free elections, the fact that our government is so criminal is a reflection upon the mindset of American voters.

As one who loves my country, I cannot bear to say more.

[bob graham las vegas]

Oh yeah, "We didn't bug her phone, but we have many pages on her conversations and know where her last call was made from". Come on, the ease of bugging cell conversations was made public back when cell phones first came about. The fact that random or wholesale bugging using high tech means to pick up on conversations noted by key words was also addressed openly back then. How dumb is the major population, that they don't remember these things and make it so easy for spin control to take place, then "ALL IS WELL". Wake up World!

[manqzo]

Do people actually believe this stuff??? Who cares about Diana or making something like this public... maybe it is a publicity stunt just trying to get people to see the movie "The Queen".

jhindson1 wrote:

"The USA even taps phones of US citizens without warrant. - they probably have the Queen's phone tapped too as a possible terrorist..."

Quiet now - otherwise your phone will be the next to be tapped.

[troutfilet]

Unanswered questions - a lot of them. Why should a US intelligence agency be bugging the telephone conversations of a member - or former member - of the British royal family. It doesn't make any sense.

[plratlanta]

NSA will of course deny bugging Diana's phone and there will be hell to pay if anyone accuses the Clinton administration of ANY such thing.

The Clinton are the "Teflon Two for One" presidents. They have every billionaire & millionaire celebrities, corporate giants, world leaders & average people who idolize them.

Considering all of the above live for the day they are back in the White House they will deny anything that would jepordize Hillary's White House. Better blame George W. Bush - that would be easier to do.

[jcsats]

Sounds to me like the British Secret Service has something to hide!!!!

[jcsats]

Sounds to me like the British Secret Service has something to hide!!!!

[lickspittle-2009]

Given the above listener tripe, I now have a better understanding of why I DO NOT watch/listen/subscribe nor give much credance to CBS or any of their prehistoric partners. GO HOME Mr. Clueless, you B&W set is on the fritz.

[thgdriver]

arthurcl1

Of course he left office with a balanced budget set in motion by the past Republican administrations. Besides he did not stick his neck out to do anything about Osama or Afganistan, what he did stick out I won't go into.

[themooniac]

Big deal. This is news? The NSA is, and has, been monitoring every electronic conversation out there since the 70's, at least their software has. They've been monitoring converstions for "keywords" before people knew what a "keyword" was. Do people think they have some guy out there with Koss headphones on listening to every conversation like its" WWII? It would be news if they did'nt have a file on her...

[danobkm]

ok..lets be real. What was so special about this woman? Nothing really.

Her claim to fame was her husbands affair with a smoked skinned huzzy.

Other than that she too was a jet setting hedonist.

She traded one rich guy for another and sadly died at the hands of a drunk driver.

[jcsats]

Your getting hung up on irrelevant details and missing the big picture. Who cares who did the bugging, obviously what was bugged and the fact that it is going to come out thursday is going to be quite pertinent to Pricess Dianas death. Get out of the way and let the story unfold. Someones secret is going to be exposed and the public is going to made privy.

[thgdriver]

Where is 007 when you need him?