Britain spied on UN allies over war vote - SC members 'illegally targeted'

[tinnypriv]

Mods: Shortened headline.




Britain spied on UN allies over war vote
Security Council members 'illegally targeted' by GCHQ after plea from US security agency
The Observer, 8 Feb 2004

Britain helped America to conduct a secret and potentially illegal spying operation at the United Nations in the run-up to the Iraq war, The Observer can reveal.

The operation, which targeted at least one permanent member of the UN Security Council, was almost certainly in breach of the Vienna conventions on diplomatic relations, which strictly outlaw espionage at the UN missions in New York.

Translators and analysts at the Government's top-secret surveillance centre GCHQ were ordered to co-operate with an American espionage 'surge' on Security Council delegations after a request from the US National Security Agency at the end of January 2003. This was designed to help smooth the way for a second UN resolution authorising war in Iraq.

The information was intended for US Secretary of State Colin Powell before his presentation on weapons of mass destruction to the Security Council on 5 February.

...

More: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,11...

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

1. More excellent stuff from Martin Bright

I only hope that it gets beyond the Observer. Katherine Gun should be a national hero.

[Gman]

2. We already thought this happened

based on accusations during all the debate. This confirms it.

[TacticalPeek]

3. Powell sucks.

[salin]

4. I knew about the Condi's NSA... hadn't yet seen that the Brits were

actively involved (though since the leak came from the Brit side, I guess that was implicit.) This is one story that I have seen next to zero coverage in the US. It rather gives weight to the whole "manipulated intel" story - and demonstrates a pattern of behavior. If the case was so strong (which is now known that it wasn't), then why resort to these measures to ensure passage?

Still waiting for this to become enough of a story in the US that the public that even half way pays attention becomes familiar with it. Of course, I am not holding my breath.