U.S. to Close Eavesdropping Post

June 1 -- The U.S. military is withdrawing its communications eavesdropping station from Bad Aibling, Germany, following consultations with the regional Baviarian government, officials tell ABCNEWS.com.

Operations at the facility — the subject of some controversy in Germany over concerns of U.S. spying — will end in September 2002, allowing the base to be returned to the German government.

Some German politicians have been calling for the base's closure.

The Bad Aibling station is one of a handful of major U.S.-run listening posts around the world that are part of the controversial, so-called "Echelon" system, which is believed to intercept global communications, sift through them, and transmit selected ones back to the United States and partner countries for analysis.

Echelon is said to be operated worldwide by five principal countries: the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is believed to intercept large quantities of telephone, fax, Internet and e-mail communications through satellite receiver stations and possibly spy satellites.

The U.S. government has declined to discuss the existence of the system, but officials have often discussed the restrictions and capabilities of its global eavesdropping technology.

The decision to relocate the station was made following discussions with the Bavarian government, according to a National Security Agency spokeswoman. "As a result of that consultation, it was determined that closing that facility was the wisest course to take."

NSA and U.S. military officials gave no further indication of the reason for the closing, other than to say the forces there "will be consolidated and realigned."

The reported 1,800 American personnel working at Bad Aibling include Army, Navy, and Air Force intelligence units and civilians with the NSA, headquartered at Fort Meade, Md. According to the official, some of the civilian personnel will return to the United States and some will be transferred to other posts.