UK spy chiefs to be quizzed in public for first time, on Snowden

[Redfairen]

Source: Reuters

Britain's intelligence chiefs will give their first ever public testimony on Thursday when they are cross-examined together in parliament about the case of former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

The evidence-gathering session comes amid calls for the government to step up oversight of its three main intelligence agencies after documents that Snowden leaked to the press exposed Britain's role in secret mass surveillance programs.

Those disclosures detailed Britain's close cooperation with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), embarrassing Prime Minister David Cameron and angering lawmakers in his ruling Conservative party who said they harmed national security.

The director of Britain's electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ, the head of the domestic security service MI5, and the chief of the foreign Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6, will all attend Thursday's hearing, which will be televised, albeit with a short delay for security reasons.



Read more: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSBRE9A600L20131107?irpc=932

[grasswire]

1. televised where?

streaming on the Internet?

Love to see it!!

[Ghost Dog]

5. UK Parliament live streaming TV

... is not at the moment listing this event.

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Live.aspx

Hmmm. Searching...

The announcement at the Intelligence and Security Committee's site says:

http://isc.independent.gov.uk/

At 14:00 on Thursday 7 November, the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament will be holding an Open Evidence Session with the three heads of the UK Intelligence Agencies:

Sir Iain Lobban, Director, GCHQ;
Mr Andrew Parker, Director General, Security Service; and
Sir John Sawers, Chief, Secret Intelligence Service.

This will be the Committee's first Open Evidence Session: it will be the first time the three heads of the Intelligence Agencies have appeared in public together to talk about their work.

The session will give an insight into the world of intelligence, and the work the Agencies do on behalf of the UK. It represents a very significant step forward in terms of the openness and transparency of the Agencies. The Committee will question the Agency Heads on the work of the Agencies, their current priorities and the threats to the UK. Among other things it will cover the terrorist threat, regional instability and weapons proliferation, cyber security and espionage. However, since this is a public session, it will not cover details of intelligence capabilities or techniques, ongoing operations or sub judice matters. The Committee questions the Agencies about these details in their closed sessions.

The session will be held on the Parliamentary estate and will last approximately an hour and a half. It will be broadcast on www.parliamentlive.tv.

The session will be broadcast on a short time delay. The time delay is a security mechanism to allow the Committee to pause the broadcast if anything is mentioned which might endanger national security or the safety of those working for the Agencies. A similar process was used during the public hearings for the Iraq Inquiry.

There will be a limited number of seats available in the meeting room itself. For security reasons, the Committee has agreed that for this first Open Session these seats will be available to full Parliamentary pass holders and a small number of print journalists only. A notification of the event has been posted on the parliamentary intranet and pass holders have been invited to apply for a seat, which will be allocated on a 'first come, first served' basis.

Media arrangements are being dealt with separately.

Posted 23 Oct 2013 03:04 by ISC Admin

But http://www.parliamentlive.tv doesn't have it scheduled yet... eyes peeled.

14:00GMT in UK is 09:00ET.

GMT will also be known to some of you as Zulu Time, I believe.

[Ghost Dog]

7. Ok. Streaming now here:

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=14146

[center]

From left to right, the 'heads' of: MI5, MI6 and GCHQ[/center]

[grasswire]

10. did anyone watch this? nt

[Rebellious Republican]

2. bwahahaha, promise we are going to , umm, tell umm the umm whats the thing called, ummm

the cough, cough the umm, whats the word I am ummm looking for, the truth, yes I believe that is the word I am looking for. However I can not be sure if that is the correct term for sure if the truth be told. However ask me anything and I will get right back to you, just as soon as I consult with my bosses, I mean counsel.

[loli phabay]

3. surprised at this, thought the official secrets act and d notice would be invoked

Would not expect to much info to be put out there due to operational issues and would not expect it otherwise. Be interesting to see none the less.

[HooptieWagon]

4. "Eavesdropping? What eavesdropping? NSA? Never heard of them."

[truthisfreedom]

6. which will be televised, albeit with a short delay for security reasons

Because they can't afford to have the details of the truth revealed.

[loli phabay]

8. probuably to ensure that nothing that should not be leaked is broadcast

Makes sense in a way, there is always a chance an errant word or phrase could jeopardise an operation. MPs have never been known for their ability to keep schtum.

[Eugene]

9. UK intelligence work defends freedom, say spy chiefs

Source: BBC

7 November 2013 Last updated at 14:44 GMT

UK intelligence work defends freedom, say spy chiefs

Britain's security services defend "freedom and democracy", the head of MI5 has told MPs and peers.

Andrew Parker is being grilled alongside GCHQ director Sir Iain Lobban and MI6 chief Sir John Sawers in an unprecedented public hearing.

The three men are being quizzed on the work of their organisations by the Intelligence and Security Committee.

It follows leaks by ex-US security contractor Edward Snowden which raised concerns about spying.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24847399

[Ghost Dog]

11. I just listened to some of the first 20 minutes or so...

I distinctly heard the GCHQ chief say their brief is to work for the "security and prosperity" of the UK; ie. door open for economic espionage, I immediately thought...

[bemildred]

12. UK spy chiefs emerge from shadows to blast Edward Snowden

---

Iain Lobban, the director of GCHQ, Britain's electronic eavesdropping agency, told lawmakers that intelligence chiefs were "actively considering" whether more information should now be shared with the public as a result.

Visibly emotional, he argued however that "certain methods" should remain secret and cited what he said were specific examples where the Snowden data leaks had harmed Britain's national security.

"We've seen terrorist groups in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and elsewhere in south Asia discussing the revelations in specific terms," he said.

"We have actually seen chat around specific terrorist groups who, even close to home, discuss how to avoid what they now perceive to be vulnerable communications methods, or how to select communications which they now perceive not to be exploitable."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/07/us-britain-spying-qaeda-idUSBRE9A60XZ20131107