Brazil Sending the U.S. a Strong Message About NSA Surveillance
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff doesn’t approve of the U.S. National Security Agency’s surveillance techniques. She’s making that much clear by overseeing the construction of a $185 million overseas fiber-optic cable which will stretch across the Atlantic Ocean from Fortaleza, Brazil to Lisbon, Portugal. The Brazilian government won’t ask for the help of any U.S. companies during its development so as to not give the U.S. National Security Agency any opportunities to intercept its data or communications. The Brazilian state-owned telecommunications company Telecomunicacoes Brasileiras SA, or Talebras, that’s overseeing the 3,500-mile cable project said it will only partner with European, Asian and local partners to help with construction.
Recording Shows Reagan Apologizing to Thatcher over 1983 U.S. Invasion of Grenada
A 30-year-old audio recording has been released publicly for the first time that captures then U.S. President Ronald Reagan apologizing to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher over the U.S. invasion of Grenada. The United States invaded the small Caribbean nation in 1983 after the assassination of leftist President Maurice Bishop. Within months, a pro-U.S. government was installed. While the fighting was still underway, Reagan called Thatcher to apologize for not warning her in advance of his plan to invade Grenada, which is part of the British Commonwealth. Reagan went on to apologize for any “embarrassment” caused to Britain.