[bestbits] Fwd: [tpp-allies] Deadline Monday: Sign-on: NSA/USTR surveillance of advocacy groups?

[Carolina Rossini]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jessa Boehner <jboehner at citizen.org>
Date: Fri, Nov 8, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Subject: [tpp-allies] Deadline Monday: Sign-on: NSA/USTR surveillance of
advocacy groups?
To: tpp-allies <tpp-allies at listserver.citizen.org>


Dear all –



Just a reminder to please send an e-mail to me (jboehner at citizen.org)
*before* *Monday, November 11 at noon* if your organization wants to sign
on to the below letter to the NSA and USTR.


Thanks,
Jessa

*_________________________________________*

*Jessa Boehner *|* International Program Associate *

Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch

215 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washington DC, 20003 USA

jboehner at citizen.org <http://jboehner@citizen.org%20> &
www.tradewatch.org<http://www.tradewatch.org%20>

Ph: + 202.454.5106, Fax: + 202.547.7392





*From:* Robert Weissman [mailto:rweissman at citizen.org]
*Sent:* Wednesday, November 06, 2013 9:19 AM
*To:* tpp-allies
*Subject:* [tpp-allies] Sign-on: NSA/USTR surveillance of advocacy groups?



Dear Friends,



Many of you have probably seen this past Sunday New York Times story
describing the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office as a “customer” of the
NSA.



The story noted that the NSA's "huge investment in [data] collection is
driven by pressure from the agency’s “customers,” in government jargon, not
only at the White House, Pentagon, F.B.I. and C.I.A., but also spread
across the Departments of State and Energy, Homeland Security and Commerce,
and the United States Trade Representative."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/world/no-morsel-too-minuscule-for-all-consuming-nsa.html?hp&_r=0



Among other disturbing issues, this raises the question of whether the NSA
has been involved in surveillance of any of the many organizations working
to ensure that U.S. trade policy serves the broad public interest rather
than narrow mercantile concerns.



The brief sign-on letter below is addressed to NSA Director Keith Alexander
and USTR Michael Froman. It asks them directly for assurances that our
organizations are not under surveillance.



*Please send your organizational sign on to Jessa Boehner --
jboehner at citizen.org <jboehner at citizen.org> -- by Monday, November 11 at
noon.*



Best,



Robert Weissman

President

Public Citizen







Dear General Alexander and Ambassador Froman,



The New York Times reports on November 3 that wide-reaching efforts by the
National Security Agency to collect data are driven in part by the agency's
"customers" -- a range of other government agencies that includes the
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.



In light of this and other disclosures, we are writing to ask if the NSA,
or other national security agencies, have surveilled any U.S. organizations
or individuals advocating on U.S. trade policy. We ask you to disclose any
such surveillance, whether or not it occurred at the request of USTR;
whether or not it involved communications with foreign nationals; and
whether or not it occurred within U.S. borders.



Core American principles ranging from the right to privacy to the right to
petition our government are at stake. Simply put, we believe that our
organizations -- as well as all others advocating on trade policy matters
-- have right to an assurance that their operations are not under
surveillance by U.S. government agencies. We trust you agree.



We look forward to your reply.









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-- 
*Carolina Rossini*
*Project Director, Latin America Resource Center*
Open Technology Institute
*New America Foundation*
//
http://carolinarossini.net/
+ 1 6176979389
*carolina.rossini at gmail.com*
skype: carolrossini
@carolinarossini
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