- Title: GERMANY: Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague warns of possible 'cyber war'
- Date: 5th February 2011
- Summary: WIDE OF CONFERENCE MUNICH, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 4, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS ON CENTRAL MARKET SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (German) UNNAMED DEMONSTRATOR, SAYING: "All these dictators in the Arabic countries, were supported all this time supported by the EU and the USA, why should they now say: Oh, they are dictators, we are against them now, but we have supported them for 30 years before. I don't think anybody has democratic interests there and would like something good for the Egyptian people." (SOUNDBITE) (German) UNNAMED DEMONSTRATOR, SAYING: "It's a joke that private weapon traders meet up with politicians there. This can't be in the interest of the people. I think it is important that we take to the streets and become more political again, so that there will be more interest in politics." VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATION
- Embargoed: 20th February 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany, Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA4VD4OM0YT3QLWC4IB48ZRP2NJ
- Story Text: Speaking at the 47th Munich Security Conference on Friday (February 4) UK Foreign Secretary William Hague warned of the risks and changes cyber space could mean to the way people would view and conduct foreign policy.
"The cyber space is changing the way we view and conduct foreign policy. The political upheaval in Egypt now is an example of that. The Egyptian government has tried to shut down the internet and mobile phone networks and broadcasters like Al Jazeera and the CEO of Vodafone called me just before we started this session to describe the attempt made yesterday to force his company to send political messages to all their Egyptian subscribers," Hague said. He stated that cyber space would create new means of repression, enabling undemocratic governments to violate the human rights of their citizens. It has opened up new channels for hostile governments to probe our defences and attempt to steal confidential information or intellectual property. It has promoted fears of future cyber war, it has enabled terrorist networks to plan atrocities, to flood internet chatrooms with their ideology and to pry on the vulnerable from thousands of miles away," he said.
While the talks at Munich Security Conference mainly focussed on the recent developments in Egypt, some demonstrators gathered on one of the main market squares in the Bavarian capital to express their unwill against the gathering of international leaders.
"All these dictators in the Arabic countries, were supported all this time supported by the EU and the USA, why should they now say: Oh, they are dictators, we are against them now, but we have supported them for 30 years before. I don't think anybody has democratic interests there and would like something good for the Egyptian people," one demonstrator said.
The Munich Security Conference runs through February 6. It was founded in 1962 by a German publisher and is meant to provide an opportunity for world leaders to meet to discuss the pressing issues of the day. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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