Former U.K. Intelligence Worker Arrested

[Wwagsthedog]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3385543,00.html

Friday November 14, 2003 2:31 AM


LONDON (AP) - Police charged a former British intelligence employee with breaking state secrecy laws Thursday, after she was linked to the disclosure of a memo in which U.S. officials allegedly asked for British help in eavesdropping on U.N. envoys.

Katharine Gun, 29, who worked as a translator for the Government Communications Headquarters, was arrested in March after a British newspaper published the memo, which came as the United States still hoped to win U.N. backing for the war in Iraq.

In the memo allegedly from U.S. officials, the intelligence agency was asked for help bugging the home and office telephones of delegates of key countries on the U.N. Security Council. The agency in Cheltenham, western England, uses high-tech equipment to monitor international communications.

Gun, who was fired in June, was charged under a section of Britain's Official Secrets Act, which bars the unauthorized disclosure of security and intelligence information. Police didn't elaborate on the charges or say if they were in connection to the memo.

More........

[KAZ]

1. This is an outrage of the highest order.

If it's related to the memo, then both sides of the pond have some serious problems. Nothing but dark clouds on the horizon. Hope we're all up for it.

[midwest_lurker]

3. which memo? n/t

[midwest_lurker]

2. important story ... i wonder if it will break on this side of the pond?n/t