Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt has ordered a probe into whether a Brussels-based banking consortium broke the law when it provided US anti-terror authorities with confidential information about international money transfers.
The consortium known as SWIFT – society for worldwide inter-bank financial telecommunications – was brought into the limelight when the New York Times last week reported that officials from the CIA, the FBI and other US agencies had since 2001 been allowed to inspect the transfers.
http://euobserver.com/9/21963/?rk=1
Please also see:
Bush, Cheney threaten New York Times over exposure of surveillance programs http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/jun2006/time-j28.shtml
UPDATES
European Central Bank knew about US data access
The European Central Bank and the Bank of England were aware that customers' payment data were being transferred to US authorities, according to a document obtained by Belgium's Le Soir newspaper. http://euobserver.com/9/21984/?rk=1
The consortium known as SWIFT – society for worldwide inter-bank financial telecommunications – was brought into the limelight when the New York Times last week reported that officials from the CIA, the FBI and other US agencies had since 2001 been allowed to inspect the transfers.
http://euobserver.com/9/21963/?rk=1
Please also see:
Bush, Cheney threaten New York Times over exposure of surveillance programs http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/jun2006/time-j28.shtml
UPDATES
European Central Bank knew about US data access
The European Central Bank and the Bank of England were aware that customers' payment data were being transferred to US authorities, according to a document obtained by Belgium's Le Soir newspaper. http://euobserver.com/9/21984/?rk=1