the woman who revealed dirty tricks on the UN Iraq war vote

[G_j]

http://m.guardiannews.com/world/2013/mar/03/katharine-gun-iraq-war-whistleblower


Saturday 2 March 2013 19.06 EST

Katharine Gun: Ten years on what happened to the woman who revealed dirty tricks on the UN Iraq war vote?

In the runup to the critical vote on war in Iraq, Katharine Gun exposed a US plot to spy on the UN. As a film of her story is planned, she tells of her anger and frustration – but not her regrets

Ten years ago, a young Mandarin specialist at GCHQ, the government's surveillance centre in Cheltenham, did something extraordinary. Katharine Gun, a shy and studious 28-year-old who spent her days listening in to obscure Chinese intercepts, decided to tell the world about a secret plan by the US government to spy on the United Nations.

She had received an email in her inbox asking her and her colleagues to help in a vast intelligence "surge" designed to secure a UN resolution to send troops into Iraq. She was horrified and leaked the email to the Observer. As a result of the story the paper published 10 years ago this weekend, she was arrested, lost her job and faced trial under the Official Secrets Act.

The memo from Frank Koza, chief of staff at the "regional targets" section of the National Security Agency, GCHQ's sister organisation in the US, remains shocking in its implications for British sovereignty. Koza was in effect issuing a direct order to the employees of a UK security agency to gather "the whole gamut of information that could give US policymakers an edge in obtaining results favourable to US goals or to head off surprises". This included a particular focus on the "swing nations" on the security council, Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Bulgaria and Guinea, "as well as extra focus on Pakistan UN matters".

..more..

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Yes. But, does she have a girfriend in Hawaii? Do her neighbors like her?

[IdaBriggs]

3. I want to know if she breast feeds pitbulls in Olive Garden.

[truedelphi]

8. Oh, damn it.

ROTFLMAO.

While drinking coffee.

Warning, next time, [h2][font color=red][bold]please [/h2][/font color=red][/bold]Ms Briggs

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. It's the boxes in the garage that get me.

[JoeyT]

14. Did she ever lie about her salary?

These are the important questions we must have answered before we can know whether to believe her or not.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. I so remember her --

Another whistleblower who tried to get us the truth. Great to hear her story is being taken to film.

[redqueen]

5. K&R nt

[G_j]

6. What a narcissist, thinking she could make a difference!

just one person, ha! gotta question her motives and her mental state!

[rhett o rick]

7. Authoritarians hate whistle-blowers. Just sayin. nm

[lady lib]

9. Is there a link that works? nt

[Hissyspit]

10. Try this:

http://www.guardiannews.com/world/2013/mar/03/katharine-gun-iraq-war-whistleblower

[G_j]

11. fixed

thanks for the heads up.

[lady lib]

12. Yes, your link works. Thanks! nt

[dipsydoodle]

13. She was cleared in 2004

GCHQ translator cleared over leak.

A GCHQ translator sacked for revealing a secret e-mail has been cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act.

Katharine Gun, 29, from Cheltenham, claimed the e-mail was from US spies asking British officers to tap phones of nations voting on war against Iraq.

>

Ms Gun had always said she had acted in an effort to prevent the war, and outside court said: "I have no regrets and I would do it again."

>

There has been speculation the government was worried about the disclosure of secret documents during the trial, particularly the advice by Attorney General Lord Goldsmith about the legality of war.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3485072.stm

The prosecution offered no evidence presumably in a vain attempt to prevent the government look less stupid than then they were.

[Hissyspit]

15. Today's earlier thread on this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022998565

[G_j]

16. better headline and great article

Interesting how that article came out today, as I had just decided to Google Katherine Dunn and review her story. My posted article is from March 1st, before the latest news involving whistle blowers.

[Hissyspit]

17. Yeah, I guess it didn't get as much attention because I posted it in the middle of the night.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

18. "I have no regrets and I would do it again".

Wow, what a example of knowing right from wrong.

[blkmusclmachine]

19. .

.