Europe Panel Defers Report on Bank Data Sifting

[rodeodance]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/27/washington/27swift.html?_r=1&th=&oref=slogin&emc=th&pagewanted=print

September 27, 2006
Europe Panel Defers Report on Bank Data Sifting
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRUSSELS, Sept. 26 (AP) — A panel of European data security officials on Tuesday put off a final report on the legality of an American program to monitor millions of international banking transactions. But they said they had “immediate concerns” about the arrangement.

The officials agreed to investigate further whether European Union laws were being violated by a Belgium consortium’s sharing of confidential banking records with American counterterrorism officials.

After their meeting here, the European officials said they had concerns about “the lack of transparency” of the arrangement between the Treasury Department and the banking consortium, known as Swift, which stands for the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.

“The issue is complex, both factually and legally,” said a statement issued by the panel’s vice chairman, José Luis Piñar Mañas, director of Spain’s data security agency. The data officers “agreed to continue fact-finding and conduct further analysis based on all relevant factual and legal elements.” Some officials had pushed for a report this week.

[pooja]

1. Can you imagine if the "wrong" person was able to see all the

corrupt dealing involving official high up... if they think that the dems will win this year, they may say no way.. who knows what shady deals you would find fromt he Carlyle group.