British translator cleared in leaked Iraqi memo case

CBC News ^ | 2-25-04

[Indy Pendance]

LONDON - A British intelligence translator has been cleared of leaking a secret e-mail that alleged the U.S. wanted to spy on United Nations Security Council members before the war against Iraq.

"The prosecution offer no evidence against the defendant on this indictment as there is no longer sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction," prosecutor Mark Ellison told the court.

Katharine Gun, 29, works at the Government Communications Headquarters, Britain's global surveillance centre. She was charged in November with breaching Britain's Official Secrets Act after an memo was leaked to the British newspaper The Observer.

The newspaper reported that the e-mail was a memo allegedly sent by U.S. intelligence officials to the British, asking for help in tapping the phones of UN Security Council members.

At the time, the U.S. was trying to get support for a UN Security Council resolution approving an Iraqi invasion.

UN Security Council members Angola, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea and Pakistan allegedly had their phones tapped. The countries were considered Security Council swing votes, needed to authorize military action against Iraq.

Gun admitted to leaking the e-mail, but had pleaded not guilty.

Outside the courtroom on Wednesday, Gun, a Mandarin Chinese language expert, said she had no regrets about leaking the memo and said she would do it again.

"Obviously I'm not prone to leak secrets left, right and centre … but this needed to get out, the public deserved to know what was going on at the time," said Gun, who was fired from her job in June.

"I was pretty horrified and I felt that the British intelligence services were being asked to do something that would undermine the whole UN democratic processes," Gun said on Wednesday.

[Indy Pendance]

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[jim macomber]

"I was pretty horrified and I felt that the British intelligence services were being asked to do something that would undermine the whole UN democratic processes," Gun said on Wednesday."

And, heaven knows, pedestrian concepts like loyalty, duty, confidentiality, integrity, etc should not be allowed get in the way of "the whole UN democratic process."

Hmmm, the 'UN democratic process'. Isn't that an oxymoron?

And note how negative consequences for leaking seem to be directly related to whose ox gets gored by the leak (a la Manuel Miranda).

[protest1]

She was not cleared as the title claims. She admits she leaked the memo. She betrayed her country because she served a greater master, the UN. The actions of the US and British Governments did not agree with her political views so she betrayed them. She is a traitor pure and simple.

"but this needed to get out, the public deserved to know what was going on at the time," said Gun, who was fired from her job in June.

"I was pretty horrified and I felt that the British intelligence services were being asked to do something that would undermine the whole UN democratic processes" Gun said on Wednesday.

The UN democratic, since when?

[Peter Libra]

Used Drudge and got Sky News on his index, well down on the left. Had no problem to access. Head and shoulders photo of this woman. Absolutely agree with poster who said she is more of a United Nations, "dupe"- my own word.

The picture may say more though. A passable blonde, with a sort of orgiastic or bemused look, as she emotes to the press. My English home town was at one time headquarters of the GCHQ. I got my first decent job by applying there in 1951, out of British Army National Service. Neither here nor there, but I could call her more than a few rude names. Hope she never gets another job- who can trust her?.