The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE headline yesterday on the alleged listening in by the US NSA to our cellphone conversations raises an obvious issue but surely it is not in the fact of the US listening but if our primary routing of our calls takes them through the US - if the listening occurs in the US do we have any beef or even legal position to object?

Surely the listening does not happen in The Bahamas? Yes, Minister Mitchell, better get assurances of that.

When the US was caught recently listening into the German Chancellor’s calls we recall her indignation and requirement from President Obama an official apology, but let’s be realistic the US-UK-Canada-France-Italy-Germany-China and most countries with listening capabilities listen and we have literally little chance to know until such a disclosure from Mr Snowdon is reported.

The recent arrests of numerous large drug cases seems to indicate that possibly under OPBAT the US is listening and in the case of OPBAT surely the Bahamian Law Enforcement are involved and know the US is listening – I suggest this is a logical conclusion.

Such listening have the authority I presume of the Commissioner of Police.

Jump as high as we may wish, regrettably even the best, closest allies spy on each other – that’s the way the world goes around.

Yes, the US does need to apologise (unfortunately for them they get catched).

You think they have stopped and will stop – dream on.

Solution – throw that blackberry/I-phone away and go back to the reliable “bubble”!

On listening or more so providing banking transaction information to the US IRS – surely as the US has no Exchange Control so it is legal to transfer US funds anywhere we should be charging the US IRS for any such information as a service... isn’t the Treasury broke?

W THOMPSON

Nassau,

May 21, 2014.