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Snowden exposes UK long-term spying on Argentina

Tuesday, 07 April 2015 9:40 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 07 April 2015 12:28 PM ]

US National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden speaks via live video call during the CeBIT technology fair in Hanover, central Germany, on March 18, 2015. International speakers from business and government discuss the big issues and challenges of the digital world during the fair running until March 20, 2015. China is the CeBIT partner country in 2015. AFP PHOTO / DPA / OLE SPATA +++ GERMANY OUT

Manoel Giffoni
Press TV, Buenos Aires

The already strained diplomatic relations between Argentina and the UK seem to have reached a new low after the former US National Security Agency Edward Snowden brought to light dozens of documents which reveal that the British Government Communications Headquarters -GCHQ- implemented a major illegal surveillance and intelligence program to spy on Argentina over the Malvinas Islands also known as the Falklands.

The British eavesdropping operation began in 2006 right when Argentina started to rally support from Latin American countries and the international community on its sovereignty dispute with Britain. Back then, even the US condemned the UK for its deliberate and continued rejection of dialogue.

Experts say that this secret program proves that the UK is not so persuaded of the rightness of its arguments to maintain the occupation of the Argentine territory which Britain invaded in 1833.

The long-term and far-reaching British espionage program was aimed at preventing Argentina from taking back the sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands. Some of the intelligence activities included the collection of strategic information about government officials and the Argentine army as well as a cyber-offensive to disseminate misleading and false information about the Argentine government through different internet platforms.

UK's Joint Threat Research and Intelligence Group is a secret eavesdropping agency globally known for spreading pro-British propaganda through Internet to discredit opponents. According to the leaked documents, Britain spied on Argentina for at least 5 years.

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