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| Other News |
| The price to pay for intelligence |
| On Tuesday 3rd July, Akrotiri sovereign base, one of two large British military enclaves in southern Cyprus, was the scene of extreme violence the worst since 1960. Earlier that day thousands of Cypriots had took to the streets in protest against the proposed construction of several eavesdropping masts at the British military base. The protests erupted into violence following the arrest of Marios Matsakis. Mr Matsakis, a maverick MP with a history of self-publicising protests against the base, was leading protests by local people who claimed that new communications masts being built in the base area would emit harmful radioactive rays. Vehicles and buildings were set on fire, more than 40 police officers, most of them Cypriot were injured, almost 1,000 protesters took part in battles with troops and police and damage was estimated at �300,000. The proposed masts are being constructed in a overall update of the site, the prime function of which is intelligence-gathering. The Akrotiri sovereign base is a vital relay for GCHQ, the British based eavesdropping site. Intelligence officers still eavesdrop on the Arab world and on the Balkans, making the Akrotiri base the centre of Britain's global communications spy network. |