Secret U.S. letter could spell death for Galileo

A secret letter from the U.S. government requests that European ministers of defense put the brakes on the Galileo project, which could signal the end of the European effort to create an alternative to GPS (Global Positioning System).

The U.S. does not explicitly demand that the project be canceled, but if the European Union yields to U.S. pressure, the project is doomed.

"Galileo is almost dead," said Gilles Gantelet, press spokesman to EU commissioner of transportation, Loyola de Palacio.

For several years, the U.S. has lobbied against the Galileo project. One argument used is that GPS, the positioning system operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, is all that is needed. A secret letter sent by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz to EU defense ministers adds to the campaign.

In his letter, Wolfowitz identifies two problems. Signals from Galileo satellites might interfere with GPS signals. This applies to the GPS-M system, the part of the GPS system that's only available to U.S. forces. The other problem is that the Galileo system might be used for military purposes.

The secret letter was sent on Dec. 1 of last year to the ministers of defense in those EU countries that are NATO members. The target, though, was the EU ministers of transportation, who met Dec. 6, because the Galileo project is handled by the transportation ministers.

"I do not believe the current civil forum being used by the EC provides the proper venue to fully assess the security implications," Wolfowitz wrote. Translated from diplomatic jargon, Wolfowitz's statement could be interpreted as discouraging civilians from dealing with something that should be handled by the military.

Wolfowitz urged the ministers of defense to "convey these security concerns" to the ministers of defense. They need to make sure that Galileo does not interfere with the frequencies needed for the military part of GPS. If the EU is planning to adapt Galileo for military use, Wolfowitz wants this to be discussed "in an appropriate forum." That likely means a military forum.

However, any such discussion must be concluded before March 25, which seems impossible. The meeting of the EU ministers of transportation that day will, in effect, determine the fate of Galileo.

The EU must make up its mind, lest the corporations funding the project pull out of it.

An internal document from the U.S. government analyzes the report on the Galileo project that Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP published in November 2001. The U.S. report thrashes the analysis made by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, and the U.S. government has made those harsh conclusions available to at least some EU governments.

According to Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the Galileo project will yield about

» posted by abennett

Computer Sweden

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