Echelon was a subsystem aimed at the civilian sector. Ground dishes pick up all satellite phone and high-speed data links. The US insists Echelon is used only to fight terrorism, drug dealers and other crimes, but Europe doesn't buy this story. In spite of August vacation, a time when all France goes into deep lethargy and government shuts down, French investigators are examining claims by industry that the wicked Anglo-Saxons are using Echelon to eavesdrop on details of their major international arms and commercial deals. According to the French, information from Echelon intercepts passed on to US and British defense and telecom firms was used to underbid French companies.
French claims are probably correct.
However, the irate French are hardly wounded innocents. Exquisite blonde courtesans from Madame Claude's renowned Paris house of pleasure were routinely used to induce African and Arab potentates to sign on the dotted line for millions worth of French arms. According to US intelligence, first class seats on Air France flights were hard-wired for sound to pick up conversations of American and British business executives and diplomats. CIA riposted by mounting a series of clownish honey-trap ops in which attractive American female agents were employed to seduce senior French officials to obtain through pillow talk details on upcoming commercial and military contracts. A depressed American Mata Hari exposed the operations, to Washington's enormous embarrassment.