UK spies 'bugged UN's Kofi Annan'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3488548.stm

British spies were bugging UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's office in the
run up to the Iraq war, former UK cabinet minister Clare Short has claimed.
The ex-international development secretary said she had read some of the
transcripts of his conversations.

Ms Short said she recalled thinking, as she talked to Mr Annan: "Oh dear,
there will be a transcript of this and people will see what he and I are
saying."

Downing Street has refused to comment on the claims, made in a BBC
interview.


Spies there 'for some time'

Her comments came the day after the dramatic collapse of the trial of GCHQ
whistle-blower Katharine Gun.

She had been accused of leaking a secret e-mail from US spies apparently
requesting British help in bugging UN delegates head of the Iraq invasion.

"The UK in this time was also getting spies on Kofi Annan's office and
getting reports from him about what was going on" - Clare Short

During an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme Ms Short said British
spies were involved in bugging Mr Annan's office in the run up to war with
Iraq.

"The UK in this time was also getting spies on Kofi Annan's office and
getting reports from him about what was going on," she said.

"These things are done and in the case of Kofi's office, it was being done
for some time."

Legal question

Asked if Britain was involved in this, she replied; "Well I know - I've
seen transcripts of Kofi Annan's conversations.


"In fact, I have had conversations with Kofi in the run up to the war
thinking 'oh dear, there will be a transcript of this and people will see
what he and I are saying'."

Asked to confirm if British spies were instructed to carry out operations
within the UN on people like Mr Annan, she said: "Yes, absolutely."

Quizzed about whether she knew about this when she was in government, Ms
Short responded: "Absolutely. I read some of the transcripts of the
accounts of his conversations."

Pressed about whether this was legal, she said: "I don't know. I presume
so. It is odd but I don't know about the legalities."

'Tarnished reputation'?

A Downing Street spokesman said in a statement: "We never comment on
intelligence matters. Our intelligence and security agencies act in
accordance with national and international law at all times."

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said that many UN officials always
worked on the basis that they were being bugged.


Clare Short has been a thorn in the government's side since she quit
But, he added, "that is not to say that it is acceptable if they are not
suspected of terrorism or other crimes".

Hassen Fodha, the UN director in Brussels, said: "The UN works in full
transparency. There is no need to spy or to go through secret channels.

"Our information is public and under our rules no other information than is
public should be used in our reports."

Tory shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram was cautious about reacting to
Ms Short's remarks, saying: "I think she should be asked why she's saying
this now. I don't know what the truth of this is."

'Sensitive matters'

But Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman,
said: "If these allegations are true, they will do nothing for Britain's
already tarnished reputation at the UN."

Donald Anderson, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee,
said "even talking about what passed over" Ms Short's desk "is wholly wrong
in principle".

Defence expert Col Mike Dewar agreed, saying she should not be talking
about such sensitive matters because they could compromise intelligence
sources.

Earlier, Ms Short said enormous pressure was being brought to bear on
countries that were not supportive of the Iraq war.

She said Baroness Amos, who was a spokeswoman on international development,
had gone round Africa, with people from the British intelligence
services "trying to press them".

Political motivation?

"I had to make sure that we didn't promise them misuse of aid in a way that
would be illegal," said Ms Short, who was Lady Amos's boss at the time.

The prime minister's monthly media briefing on Thursday is expected to be
dominated by Ms Short's revelations and the dropping of the case against
the ex-intelligence officer Katharine Gun.

The government has denied claims the move to drop the case was politically
motivated.

There has been speculation ministers were worried about the disclosure of
secret documents during the trial, particularly the advice from Attorney
General Lord Goldsmith about the legality of war.


Listen to the full Today programme interview:
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/audio/39859000/rm/_39859206_spying08_short26_lo
ng.ram

Profile of Clare Short:
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3488642.stm)

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