Bob Herbert has Katherine Gun Story - she busted NSA plan spy on UN

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/19/opinion/19HERB.html

Katharine Gun has a much better grasp of the true spirit of democracy than Tony Blair. So, naturally, it's Katharine Gun who's being punished.

Ms. Gun, 29, was working at Britain's top-secret Government Communications Headquarters last year when she learned of an American plan to spy on at least a half-dozen U.N. delegations as part of the U.S. effort to win Security Council support for an invasion of Iraq.

The plans, which included e-mail surveillance and taps on home and office telephones, was outlined in a highly classified National Security Agency memo. The agency, which was seeking British assistance in the project, was interested in "the whole gamut of information that could give U.S. policymakers an edge in obtaining results favorable to U.S. goals."

Countries specifically targeted were Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Bulgaria, Guinea and Pakistan. The primary goal was a Security Council resolution that would give the U.S. and Britain the go-ahead for the war.

Ms. Gun felt passionately that an invasion of Iraq was wrong — morally wrong and illegal. In a move that deeply embarrassed the American and British governments, the memo was leaked to The London Observer.

[Logansquare]

1. I can't believe they're going after her

How forgotten was this story until now? This administration's stupidity is only exceeded by its thirst for payback.

[salin]

2. I am glad he is writing about this.... but sadly

there has been almost NO reporting on this story after it first broke, most of the public has never heard about it. Thus, many readers (even fence sitters), will hear the echo in their head of the Rove talking points.... "Bush haters... bush haters..." and will read the story as somehow just more of the "bush haters... ranting" and will NOT stop to think about the story and its validity. Had the story received real coverage - and right now with it in court - since it involves an egregious charge against the US govt - you would think that it would be a major mediat story - anyhow - had it been in the paper more frequently - fence sitters who are trying to stay in safe-denial about the true nature of this administration would sit up and take notice, and THINK about what Herbert is writing. Instead fence sitters will hear the propoganda/message line of the right and marginalize what is written. x(

[underpants]

3. I hadn't heard of it. Any press on this would be great.

unfortuneately until there is press on this I will sound like one of those "crazy liberal conspiracy theorists" by even discussing this.

If it did see the light of day the libertarians and many Republicans would freak.