Brit. Intelligence Leaker Facing Prison Time For Exposing U.S.-UN Surveil

[Say_What]

<clips>

Former British intelligence employee Katharine Gun is facing up to two years in prison for violating the Official Secrets Act when she disclosed a top-secret NSA memo in March outlining a U.S. surveillance operation directed at UN Security Council members ahead of the vote on Iraq.

In the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, the British newspaper The Observer exposed a highly secret and aggressive surveillance operation directed at United Nations Security Council members by the U.S. ahead of the vote on Iraq.

The Observer obtained a top-secret NSA memorandum that outlined a surveillance operation involves intercepting home and office telephone calls and emails of UN delegates focusing “the whole gamut of information that could give U.S. policymakers an edge in obtaining results favorable to U.S. goals or to head off surprises."

The target of the surveillance were the so-called 'Middle Six' delegations, including Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Mexico, Guinea and Pakistan, who could swing a Security Council vote on Iraq.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/12/16/164218

[truthspeaker]

1. she's being prosecuted in Britain under a British law

for revealing US secrets. The UK really is the 51st state now. Thanks, Tony.

[asjr]

3. I would say

unbelievable, but in this world the unbelievable is believable.

[loudnclear]

2. It's her fault for ratting on criminals.

Is there no more honor among thieves?
This is what happens to anyone who tries to expose the illegal and immoral activities of the US and its allies.

[moondust]

4. Indeed, what will the U.S. and U.K. get for illegal and immoral behavior?

Punish them.

[fisher99]

5. left intentionally blank.

This act is pretty old and some people are asking the act to be changed.
Have people wondered why UK intelligence leaks have always been tightly controlled, the Offical Secrets act. All gov employs have to sign it, even if you are a cleaner.

The UK is more secret then people realise.

I read a few months ago that the US wants to start a similar act. Anyone remember that?

[Just Me]

6. "Leakers" vs "Whistle-blowers",...

,...the former given complete protection, the latter having none,...

[glitch]

7. this brave young woman deserves letters of support

She is a modern Daniel Ellsberg and needs letters of support to be sent to Congress, and also to her c/o Norman Soloman at [e-mail]

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foi/story/0,9061,1084993,00.html

Katharine Gun, 29, of Cheltenham, was charged by Metropolitan police special branch officers under section 1 (1) of the act. The section states that any serving or former member of the security and intelligence agencies is guilty of an offence if they disclose "any information" about their work without official authority.

In a statement last night, Ms Gun said: "Any disclosures that may have been made were justified because they exposed serious illegality and wrongdoing on the part of the US government which attempted to subvert our own security services. Secondly, they could have helped prevent widescale death and casualties amongst ordinary Iraqi people and UK forces in the course of an illegal war."

[Say_What]

8. Excellent idea!!

:kick:

[Just Me]

11. I agree,...

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. "intercepting home and office telephone calls and emails" is legal ? ?

. . like to see how THIS one flies,

especially since it involves the United Nations !

and yup,

the world would be a safer place with MORE peole like herself.

and no BUSHIES !!!

[dennis4868]

10. you know damn well....

if this happened under Clinton this would be all over the national newspapers for a very long time and be the talk of hate radio and cable TV!

[Resistance]

12. the Democracy Now program

is to be applauded for giving her a full segment of their show.

Thanks for posting