Two charged 'over Iraq memo leak'

[TheGunslinger]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4447100.stm

Two men have been charged under the Official Secrets Act following the leak of a secret government memo.

The document involved was the Foreign Office's Iraq in the Medium Term, which referred to "heavy-handed" US tactics, a government source told the BBC.

Its contents were reported in the Sunday Times in May last year.

Ex-civil servant David Keogh and former MP's researcher Leo O'Connor, both from Northampton, will appear before Bow Street magistrates on 29 November.

[leveymg]

1. An American OSA - that would be a two-edged sword.

As a whole, we're better off without it.

[Selteri]

2. Ok... so you leak a memo that says we're being heavy handed

and you'll be on trial faster than you can spit.

Leak the name of an undercover CIA Agent and it's three years before you find out you're still waiting.

[rzemanfl]

3. "[T]hree years before you find out you're still waiting..." Love it

and would like to steal it (with your permission)>

[Selteri]

6. Permission granted, of course.

It's not stealing, I'm sharing a good phrase.

[rzemanfl]

8. Thanks, and tell me that again when you write something that

generates royalties. :D

[Gloria]

4. Two Charged over Leak of Blair-Bush Conversation... --UK (Tony disagreed)

From the new World Media Watch up now at the URL in the sig below, tomorrow at Buzzflash.com

2//The Independent, UK Published: 18 November 2005

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article327779.ece



TWO CHARGED OVER LEAK OF BLAIR-BUSH CONVERSATION ON CONFLICT

By Jason Bennetto and Ben Russell



A civil servant has been charged with trying to leak a transcript of a confidential and controversial conversation between Tony Blair and George Bush about the Iraq war.

A document containing a transcript of a conversation between the two leaders was sent to a rebel Labour MP, allegedly in an attempt to cause Mr Blair embarrassment over Iraq.

But the MP returned the document to Downing Street, who called in the Metropolitan Police's Special Branch to investigate.

The transcript of the conversation, understood to have taken place in a face-to-face meeting in the US, is believed to reveal that Mr Blair disagreed with Mr Bush about aspects of the war in Iraq.

The document also revealed details that, if disclosed, could have endangered the lives of British troops.

MORE

[grytpype]

5. Daaamn, the bad news just keeps comin for Duhbya.

Can't wait for this to leak for real.

Blair: You are a gormless git.
Bush: Is that some guy who does a real good job?
Blair: Yes. Yes it is.

[noamnety]

7. One could almost draw the conclusion ...

... from this article that it's actually possible to report an attempted security leak, instead of publishing it for political gain.