As controversy continues to encircle the American surveillance program, Cryptome, the digital library host that was created by the US as a repository for secret documents and material, revealed that the CIA spied on 7.8 billion calls in Saudi Arabia.
The Cryptome report said that “Saudi Arabia was the target of espionage operations,” besides several other countries in the Middle East and Asia.
Arab News could not reach officials at the Communications & Information Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia (CITC), the Kingdom’s regulatory authority, for official comment.
However, a top-notch IT expert working for a major telecom operator, who identified himself as R. K. Hussain, said that, “such monitoring of phone calls, though unethical, is regularly conducted by intelligence agencies from different countries, including the US.” Hussain said many “target” international calls pass through US carriers because they are cheaper and more accessible.
Categories: Americas, Asia, Saudi Arabia, United States