Where are they Now ? No 678 Katherine Gun - unemployed and unemployable whistleblower
On BBC4 @ 9.00 am this morning Katherine Gun a Chinese translator who worked at UK Spy HQ, GCHQ in Cheltenham. A recording of an interview was played about her life since releasing a damaging memo from the US National Security Agency which routinely crossed her desk at GCHQ.
This asked GCHQ to help the NSA for help in digging the dirt on the six Security Council members who were holding up the 2nd UN vote on invading Iraq pre-emptively.(Tony Blair's very, very, very close friend and unelected FO Minister Lady " very, very long legs" Amos was of course simultaneously scurrying about Africa with a bag of loot and aposse of MI5/6/7/8/9 opertaives trying to blackmail the same people)
This memo eventually via a friend found it's way into the Observer newspaper in an article by Martin Bright.Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war (See text of e-mail in footnote).
After confessing, an arrest and interview she was charged with a straightforward Official Secrets offence. She revealed at the time to the BBC that it was through the newspaper article that followed her leak that she was contacted by Liberty via her union at GCHQ - the government's communications centre.
In her interview broadcast today she explained that Liberty took up her legal case, organised and paid for it ... naively she says they immediately asked for every bit of paper from Lord Goldsmith, the lying, cheating, conniving then Attorney general - result - Magical - case dropped. Whoop de do !!!!
But consider dear lady the gaff was blown, the e-mail was public property thanks to the Observer and of course would be accepted by the diplomatic circus everywhere as the unremarkable stock in trade tactics of the UKUSA / ECHELON mode of politicking and international fixing.
She has, of her own admission been unable to make a living (now happily a mum) and escaped prison which could have spooked her ex-colleagues. Look ! Your friendly caring, sharing, local spy centre looks after even the naughty chuildren.
Up pops Liberty led by a doe eyed, slim, cashmere scarf wearing, Telly Genic Ex Home Office lawyer happy to foot any bills and run the defence (introduced by her Union ?) - the immediate result of which is the dismissal of all charges (25th Feb 2004) and the removal totally, forever for any chance of public and juridical examination of evidence, cross examination of Ministers, etc., etc., - end of case and general public and press loss of interest.
The BBC were of course more than happy to report that the attorney general's office told them the decision to drop the charge had nothing to do with Lord Goldsmith's advice.
Now evidently the BBC are happy to keep an eye on her progress and allow her ex colleagues to dwell on the unwelcome results of blowing the whistle.
FOOTNOTE :
To: [Recipients withheld]
From: FRANK KOZA, Def Chief of Staff (Regional Targets)CIV/NSASent on Jan 31 2003 0:16 Subject: Reflections of Iraq Debate/Votes at UN-RT Actions + Potential for Related Contributions
Importance: HIGHTop Secret//COMINT//X1
All,
As you've likely heard by now, the Agency is mounting a surge particularly directed at the UN Security Council (UNSC) members (minus US and GBR of course) for insights as to how to membership is reacting to the on-going debate RE: Iraq, plans to vote on any related resolutions, what related policies/ negotiating positions they may be considering, alliances/ dependencies, etc - the whole gamut of information that could give US policymakers an edge in obtaining results favorable to US goals or to head off surprises. In RT, that means a QRC surge effort to revive/ create efforts against UNSC members Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Bulgaria and Guinea, as well as extra focus on Pakistan UN matters.
We've also asked ALL RT topi's to emphasize and make sure they pay attention to existing non-UNSC member UN-related and domestic comms for anything useful related to the UNSC deliberations/ debates/ votes. We have a lot of special UN-related diplomatic coverage (various UN delegations) from countries not sitting on the UNSC right now that could contribute related perspectives/ insights/ whatever. We recognize that we can't afford to ignore this possible source.
We'd appreciate your support in getting the word to your analysts who might have similar, more in-direct access to valuable information from accesses in your product lines. I suspect that you'll be hearing more along these lines in formal channels - especially as this effort will probably peak (at least for this specific focus) in the middle of next week, following the SecState's presentation to the UNSC.
Thanks for your help
7 comments:
Sleep with the world service and you risk waking with R4.
I heard her interviewed this morning. I thought she came across v.well. She had so much decency she was prepared to go to gaol for what was clearly right.
I recall a year or so later the war criminal Clare Short said that they spied on Kofi Annan too. She would've known that at about the same time Katherine Gun blew her whistle.
Stand those two girls next to one another and you could spot the one with the integrity even if you had a blindfold on.
Pt 1 - forgot to mention KG was one of a 100 staff who would have rcd this e mail as standard - presumably not an unremarkable incident in their busy fun filled days in spying and waving big sticks at emerging demcracies.
Pt 2 KG came acro as straight , decent if a little naive but had been raised overseas (Taiwan) where conformity of political views is more coherent that what we consider our liberal democracy.
Pt 3 CS is a bit mixed up and has done some god and like many pols toeing the line a lot of harm - her attitudes over Uzbekistan / Karimov / torture need careful examination.
The main thing is the BBC have acted as a leitmotif in the KG story - fa be it from us to suggest that they maintain a friendly vigil to maintain both a "herlping liberal hand" and the odd nudge to "potential" whistleblowers that leaving nurses hand can lead to something worse.
Far worse.
Re: Pt 3. "CS is a bit mixed up". Yes indeedy. Like an impressionable young teen in the back of the car as the Iraq War Gang drove out on their spree. "We were young, we just wanted to have fun, we didn't know what we were doing..."
Five years later 20% of the population of Iraq is in the wrong place. Refugees or buried.
KG said that when she saw the email, what was being asked was obviously illegal. She expected to get sacked, prosecuted for breach of the Official Secrets Act and would plead the defence of "Necessity".
No disappointments for her there.
She also said she'd have no hesitation about doing it all again.
You may take the BBC's interviews of whistleblowers as a caution to others who find their conscience at odds with their employment. They could also be interperated as role models in a society seemingly short on them. (e.g. would you rather inculcate in your daughter the character of KG or CS??)
There is the other side to the coin. For someone who did toe the line and did what she was told, check Al JaBeeba's interview with Lynndie England (4 February 2009).
So KG going to trial would be the prefered opition? - in order that the illegalities of Lard Goldsmith and the gang, would get it's day in court?
- But the Kashmrir scarf wearer seems have stifled that info coming to court when the case being dropped?
Do I read that right?
If so, I can't see it likley that the court would have allowed any such info to get to the public anyway.
The majority of knobs of the system are tuned to the same rotton frequency.
Of course nothing would escape the court but let's remember 1 Mn + folks had cosed a few London Streets.
Stifle any public debate by the (possibly) emerging libertarian Middle Classes.
If we have a debate for them to enjoy it is .... do we lock the buggars up for 21 days - 49 days the rest of their natural without charge,etc.
Curiously enough our Libertarians, Sami, Davis etc., even Baroness Neville Dame Jane NJ and her Fan Club have been happy to keep that one going.
It is strange that its either Lard Goldmsith et. al. get off of KG get's off. Why does it have to be this way?
KG's case could have been dropped and then Lard Goldsmith should have been persued. Why wasn't it?
Where did KG's evidence go?
Towards the purchasing of a nice new Kashmir scarf?
Come on Shabbi, off your frikken bike and get some bloody court cases processed will ya. Someone going under the name of Chris Coverdale (perhaps Chris himself) has said the DDP is blocking the prosecution of blood handed filth-meister Tony bLiar.
Don't see Shabbi doing much there either.
But yeah, lots of daft talk about 21-49 days. Good grief.
@ lwtc247
"Where did KG's evidence go?" Places like the Postman's Blog. The memo is the sum of KG's evidence.
"...Lard Goldsmith should have been persued." The Govt of the day dropped the case rather than have to reveal communications between Cabinet and Attorney General.
"...blocking the prosecution of blood handed filth-meister Tony bLiar." Parliament is responsible for that blockage. In 2004 Adam Price MP tried to begin impeachment proceedings. Came the time, the three main parties prevented it.
In 2005 Labour was returned to Govt. You can abandon any hope of any retribution for the Iraq War through the legislative processes of the UK. Responsibility for that ultimately lies with Labour voters. If you want things to change, start talking to your neighbours.
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