http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3488548.stm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Amadu Kabir Njie" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 12:21 PM
Subject: Fw: BBC NEWS UK Politics UK spies 'bugged UN's Kofi Annan'
> 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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