NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE In January 2015 it was all smiles as Michael Fallon for the United Kingdom MOD and Simon Coveney for the Irish Government signed what the media termed an ?historic? defence agreement at Dublin Castle. Yet just week?s earlier revelations by the whistleblower Edward Snowden had revealed that the United Kingdoms spy centre at GCHQ in Cheltenham had been tapping telecommunications cables from Ireland for many years. The British spooks were ?hoovering up? not just critical intelligence but all private and commercial communications between Ireland and the world. Snowdens revelations established without doubt that the main UK/Irish (Solas) cable link from Wexford to South Wales and also the ?Hibernia? cable which carries traffic between Ireland and the United States (curiously via a loop to Southport on the Lancs. coast) was also penetrated, It was also asserted in the documentation that Global telecommunications companies that have subsidiaries in Ireland had cooperated with the snooping. So far no action appears to have been taken against the United Kingdom or against the ?sneaky? telecommunications companies that helped facilitate this illegal activity. Indeed as our opening paragraph says the only response to date has been for the Irish government to ally itself with a State which spies on its citizens. The issue is almost certain to be raised when the Celtic League meet in Dublin next month ? perhaps we will find a mechanism to prompt some reaction by the Irish government to this abuse! Note: As we highlighted in an earlier CL News article the UK has form in relation to mass surveillance of Irish communications (see link): (voir le site) J B Moffatt (Mr) Director of Information Celtic League 20/03/15 (Please note that replies to correspondence received by the League and posted on CL News are usually scanned hard copies. Obviously every effort is made to ensure the scanning process is accurate but sometimes errors do occur) ISSUED BY THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on socio-economic issues Internet site at: (voir le site) (voir le site)