24 December 2001
In October 2000 Cryptome learned of an apparent CIA function located at Bend, Oregon, by browsing the Gov Whois, which listed it under the domain of ISTAC.gov (search on the word "cia"; a once-listed address in Bend has been removed). From time to time we have attempted to learn what ISTAC does, and the best information collected so far is that it is related to telecommunications or signals of other types, perhaps even a narrow purpose of handling imagery. We have heard there is a similar function on the US East Coast. But none of this is certain.
(A Department of Commerce information systems technical advisory committee is termed ISTAC but does not appear to be related to the CIA's ISTAC.gov.)
There are reportedly a number of intelligence facilities in the region of Bend, supposedly operated by NSA and NRO. There is a known NSA interception station at Yakima, Washington, in the general region of Bend, and there may be others not as well known.
To look into the possibility that the CIA Bend operation might play a role in cable interception we went looking a few days ago for maps of fiber-optic cable systems. We discovered that many maps listed in Google for the globe's fiber-optic telecommunications systems have been removed from many of the Web sites of companies which build and maintain these systems. Most of those that remain are simple diagrams which reveal little information, although most text descriptions remain available.
A distinctive characteristic of the Pacific seacoast of Oregon is the numerous landfalls of transoceanic telecommunication cables that cross the Pacific to Hawaii and Asia as well as branch up to Alaska. There has been speculation that these cables may be tapped by US intelligence agencies -- undersea as well as on land.
We found a map which shows a single cable passing through Bend, two others passing nearby, and a single cable terminating at Yakima. That is sparse coverage compared to the complex web of cabling shown elsewhere in the region. This is not to say that there may not be cabling which is deliberately omitted from public maps.
Fiber optic cables in Bend, Oregon region
[Excerpted from
western US
cable map]
Oregon web sites turned out to be a good source of information, in particular those in locales where cable operations play an important economic role. And also in those regions where there has been conflict between seagoing industries like fishing and the cable industries.
Here are Oregon URLs for a series of maps which show the extent of fiber-optic systems in the US and coastal landfalls of transoceanic systems:
http://www.universitypark.org/maps/westernfiber1.jpg (Western US)http://www.universitypark.org/maps/central1.jpg (Central US)
http://www.universitypark.org/maps/easternfiber1.jpg (Easern US)
and routes across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and continents:
http://www.universitypark.org/maps/atl.jpg (Atlantic Ocean, Europe and Africa)http://www.universitypark.org/maps/pacific.jpg (Pacific Ocean and Asia)
We still do not know what the CIA ISTAC does in the Bend region and welcome information about it. Send to: jya@pipeline.com
Here is additional general information on the history, construction, capacity, operation and bountiful profits of the fiber-optic systems, the first two at Tycom, a firm which has built many of the systems:
http://www.tycomltd.com/Active/tycom/content.asp?page=view&type=Press&id=219http://www.tycomltd.com/Active/tycom/history_full.htm
http://www.alcatel.com/submarine/refs/cibles/maps/pacn.pdf
http://www.alcatel.com/submarine/refs/cibles/maps/pacs.pdf
http://www.kddscs.co.jp/cableimg/tpc.html
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/tech/review/1999/high99/h9902.pdf
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1192/MR1192.chap3.pdf
http://library.cs.tuiasi.ro/hardware/understanding-modern-telecommunications/ch05/091-096.html
http://library.cs.tuiasi.ro/hardware/understanding-modern-telecommunications/ch05/images/05-03.jpg
http://www.iscpc.org/cabledb/cabledb.htm
http://www.iscpc.org/cabledb/epac_page.htm
http://www.telstra.com.au/investor/docs/reach.pdf
http://www.lucent.com/livelink/173651_Whitepaper.pdf
http://www.lcd.state.or.us/coast/offshore/otsp_4.pdf
http://www.ipv6forum.org/navbar/events/telluride00/presentations/bob-collet-teleglobe/sld001.htm
The Gov Whois listing for ISTAC.gov on 25 October 2000 (caution: do not attempt to trace or contact the person listed for Bend, Oregon; Jim Bell was sent to jail, in part, for that):
CIA (ISTAC-DOM) 1820 Electric Avenue Vienna, VA 21076 Domain Name: ISTAC.GOV Status: ACTIVE Domain Type: Federal Technical Contact, Administrative Contact: S, Dan (DS3) 703-281-8087 DAN@ISTAC.GOV Domain servers in listed order: MARS.ISTAC.GOV 199.99.221.33 NS1.SPRINTLINK.NET 204.117.214.10 NS2.SPRINTLINK.NET 199.2.252.10, 199.2.252.1 NS3.SPRINTLINK.NET 204.97.212.10 Record last updated on 31-Oct-97. _____________________ cia (W19990412003631) Federal Government: Yes Unlisted Organization: Yes Status: Pending Designated Agency Rep, Requester, Sr. Registration Official: Mueller, Deforest X. (DXM2) (541) 385-6836 MUELLER@BENDNET.COM Record last updated on 13-Apr-99. ______ Mueller, Deforest X. (DXM2) cia 63350 majestic loop bend, OR 97701 (541) 385-6836 MUELLER@BENDNET.COM ______
The Gov Whois listing for ISTAC.gov on 24 December 2001:
CIA(ISTAC-DOM) 1820 Electric Avenue Vienna, VA 21076 Domain Name: ISTAC.GOV Status: ACTIVE Domain Type: Federal Technical Contact, Administrative Contact: S, Dan (DS3) 703-281-8087 DAN@ISTAC.GOV Domain servers in listed order: MARS.ISTAC.GOV 199.99.221.33 NS1.SPRINTLINK.NET 204.117.214.10 NS2.SPRINTLINK.NET 199.2.252.10, 199.2.252.1 NS3.SPRINTLINK.NET 204.97.212.10 Record last updated on 31-Oct-97. _____________________ cia (W19990412003631) Federal Government: Yes Unlisted Organization: Yes Record last updated on 02-Jan-01.
