remember this coming out but not why it was forgotten.
The conflict in Iraq has raised a number of questions concerning the integrity and professionalism of the intelligence services of the United Kingdom and the United States. Another embarrassing episode from the days preceding the war on Iraq has now flared up, following the decision of the British Crown Prosecution Service to drop charges against Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) whistleblower Katharine Gun.
In March 2003, she revealed in a leaked email that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had decided to eavesdrop on UN Security Council diplomats belonging to the group of “swing nations” that were undecided on the question of war against Iraq. The NSA requested the help of its British counterparts at GCHQ to collect information on these diplomats.Espionage involving electronic surveillance or “bugging” of conversations is not a new occurrence in world politics. During the Second World War, Stalin had Roosevelt bugged, so that he could properly prepare against any arguments that the western allies would present regarding the future division of Europe. During the cold war, embassies in Moscow had networks of listening devices hidden in the walls. Western intelligence even dug tunnels under the Berlin wall in order to tap into Soviet military communications networks. As any card-player would testify, you can never underestimate the value of knowing your opponent’s hand. But the same player would also say that there are rules for the game, and that cheating can be a hazardous affair.
UN calls off bug inquiry
THE United Nations has called off an internal inquiry into the discovery of a secret listening device at its European HQ in Geneva without finding out who planted the bug or when. Although the device was only found this autumn, the inquiry had already finished and would not be reopened, a UN official said yesterday. The listening device was found during renovation work in a room known as the Salon Francais - which adjoins a main conference hall - where it could have been used to eavesdrop on private conversations.
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1086&id=1445552004Not only were Britain and the United States prepared to eavesdrop on the security council members, as Ms Gun’s e-mail had indicated, but they were bugging the private conversations of Mr Annan."These things are done. And in the case of Kofi’s office it has been done for some time... I have seen transcripts of Kofi Annan’s conversations. In fact, I have had conversations with Kofi in the run-up to war thinking, ‘Oh dear, there will be a transcript of this and people will see what he and I have been saying’. " No10’s response was forged in a meeting with Mr Blair, Jonathan Powell, his chief of staff, and Mr Hill. There would be no comment on intelligence matters - a precedent set by successive governments.
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1086&id=228262004http://www.worldpress.org/Americas/1831.cfm