U.S. probing use of surveillance technology in Syria

[alp227]

Source: Wash. Post

The Commerce Department is investigating whether technology produced by a California company helped Syrian police monitor dissidents amid a bloody crackdown there, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Commerce officials are attempting to determine whether Blue Coat Systems of Sunnyvale, Calif., had prior knowledge that its equipment and software was being used by the Syrian government, according to several U.S. officials. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe an ongoing investigation.

Calls and e-mails to Blue Coat officials seeking comment on Thursday were not returned.

The company has previously said it did not sell equipment or software to the Syrian government, but it has acknowledged that its products are being used there and could have been obtained through a third party. U.S. sanctions prohibit sales of most goods to the nation; investigators are attempting to determine who provided the Blue Coat technology to Syria.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-probes-use-of-surveillance-technology-in-syria/2011/11/17/gIQAS1iEVN_story.html

[msongs]

1. but it's ok for our hypocrite government to use that crap to monitor us. nt

[truthisfreedom]

2. Well yeah, after all, they used our tax money to pay for its development.