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Authorisation for the US to spy in Spain

01 March 2002

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The new Defence convention between Spain and the US, signed on April 10, authorises the criminal investigation services of the US airforce and navy to operate in Spain. This agreement has been strongly criticised for its ambiguity, “on matters of mutual interest which affect US goods or personnel in Spain”, as this would allow investigations not only regarding US military personnel, but Spanish or third-country nationals as well. The suspicion that the activities of individuals may affect US goods or personnel is enough to justify the use of these powers, which are without precedent in similar agreements between the US and other countries. Furthermore the new convention envisages “cooperation in military intelligence” to counter terrorist threats. Curiously, Spain has just abolished its military intelligence service (CESID) and its successor, is a civil, rather than military, intelligence service, the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (see Statewatch vol 12 no 1).

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