I do not gather intelligence so that the government can lie to the British people. GUN: Thats right. What I object to is being asked to gather intelligence to help fix a vote at the U.N. and deceive the world into going to war. ED VULLIAMY: Well, oh, indeed, brilliantly played his subject. KATHARINE GUN: It was a full nine to 10 months after the event. She explained that when she was first arrested, her name wasnt released publicly for eight months. Ross stands at the height of 5 feet 5 inches or 165 cm tall. And he had told me over two meetings, A, we know that Saddam Hussein has no weapons of mass destruction. I remember the first time I really understood what love was or at least what a nine-year-old could understand as romantic love. This information could be huge for the growing anti-war effort Katharine thought it might even help put an end to talk of invasion once and for all. Yeah. Between the worlds greatest democracy and a murderous dictatorship, it seemed easy to know whom to believe. to your inbox each morning. He was forced to resign, because it showed that he called President Trump inept, and he said, you know, the singular reason that the Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal was because it was signed by President Obama, and other issues. The person responsible for the jeopardy to face Blair and the coalition in invading Iraq was as well as Bush and Blair themselves a young translator at GCHQ, Katharine Gun. TINTIN: [played by Peter Guinness] Your supervisor speaks highly of your integrity. Now, I asked around. You didnt. At the end of the day, we are accountable to our conscience. Join The Spectator community and view or post a comment on this article. That night, Katharine posted the letter to a contact whose identity she continues to withhold. It wasn't the news Katharine had been preparing for. Real Life Heroes Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. AMY GOODMAN: And who were these six countries? So, that was Angola, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea and Pakistan. Yasar's wife is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the GCHQ, Government Communications Headquarters. It seemed inevitable. Its not true. No. KATHARINE GUN: Detective, I dont object to being asked to collect information that could help prevent a terror attack. The Drudge Report, famous right-wing website, had followed the story up. I think of journalists as being bullet-proof in a way. Gun was cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act after being . "The officer shook my hand once I was bailed and released," Katharine recalls. But the Iraqis were right and the Americans were wrong. I was trembling like a leaf. This is the trailer. This was thought crucial to help Blair and his government survive a no-confidence motion in the House of Commons. Therefore, on August 27, 2002, he was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder by a jury and subsequently sentenced to death. "It was me.". "But there are things you have to do not for the result but for the principle, because they are right.". KATHARINE GUN: Well, it was a memo from a chap called Frank Koza, who worked at the NSA. I work for the British people. interviewed Katharine Gun. Her late husband, Tom, a former special agent of the FBI and one-time head of . Their legal battles exposed the highest levels of government in both London and Washington #OfficialSecrets #KeiraKnightley #MattSmith---------------------For syndication or usage opportunities please contact syndication@heyuguys.co.uk.---------------------More from HeyUGuys:Website http://HeyUGuys.comFollow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/HeyUGuysSubscribe here! The ripple effect from that initial invasion is continually being felt in worldwide institutions, in the U.S. and the U.K. Nobody really has been held responsible for it, and the fact remains that the nation of Iraq is still very much traumatized by what happened. "This was crossing a red line for me," she says. I was in Baghdad at the time, watching live coverage of the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, arguing for a second resolution at the UN. AMY GOODMAN: So it was sort of chicken scratch on the back. Acclaimed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg described Guns action as the most important and courageous leak I have ever seen. Guns incredible story is depicted in the new film Official Secrets, which premieres in the U.S. August 30. In February, Gun attended a demonstration in opposition to the Iraq War. He remains on death row as of July 2021, but there have been zero executions in the state of California since a 2006 court . But there were a group of journalists within the newsroom who trusted each other, had worked together previously. And then they changed their headline, from Condi Rice orders operation at the NSA and GCHQ to British newspaper prints fake memo.. She was angered by how nonchalant the email was in asking GCHQ to carry out an illegal operation but she didnt know what to do. This is Democracy Now! Also with us, the director of Official Secrets, Gavin Hood. This is viewer supported news. "I need to have a word with you," she gulped. Katharine Gun is the Most Important Whistleblower You've Never Heard of Gun discusses her attempt to stop the Iraq War, which is the subject of the new movie Official Secrets . I think that speaks rather highly of you. Marcia Mitchell is a writer, researcher, and the author of "The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War: Katharine Gun and the Secret Plot to Sanction the Iraq Invasion." This and her other writings about intelligence issues have been critically acclaimed. Gun believes that because there was no specific UN authority to attack Iraq, in theory Bush and Blair could be put on trial for waging an aggressive war (the charge at Nuremberg). Its like hes more me than I am. TINTIN: [played by Peter Guinness] Katharine Gun? What Really Happened During the Making of. 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 . But within days, Bush declared he no longer needed UN backing and invaded anyway. After the meeting, the Brits and the Americans shook hands on the tarmac and walked to their planes. It was directed by Gavin Hood and the cast comprises Matt Smith, Indira Varma, Rhys Ifans, MyAnna Buring, Jack Farthing, Jeremy Northam, Tamsin Grieg and Conleth Hill. It didnt just end when George Bush said, Mission accomplished. Its heartbreaking that its affecting so many lives, and for what? AMY GOODMAN: This is a remarkable story. By Nick Wall/IFC Films/Everett Collection. The diplomats were due to vote on a second United . It is vital to speak up in a democracy. It was a crisis meeting because they had failed to get a second UN resolution, to give legal cover for the war. Her life had been turned upside down, and for what? "My boys," the "Waitress" actress captioned the snap . As the build-up to war continued, Gun felt increasing dismay. And my husband Yasar was still in bed. KATHARINE GUN: Well, I didnt do anything immediately, but I went home. It isn't a crime, it's a responsibility.". You cannot talk to anyone about your intelligence work. Hilary Duff and husband Matthew Koma enjoy adorable family day out with their . JACQUELINE JONES: [played by Katherine Kelly] Intelligence may be being manipulated to take this country to war. Katharine Gun explains how she exposed a plot by U.S. security officials to spy on United Nations members in 2003. Ad Choices, In any walk of life, you can choose to do the right thing, whistle-blower Katharine Gun, whom Knightley plays in the film, told, Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Fragile Snowflake Donald Trump for Allegedly Trying to Censor Him, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. AMY GOODMAN: That was a clip from Official Secrets. After university and a couple of years teaching in Japan, she was back in Britain and looking for a job. We came up with an idea for a defence that I acted out of necessity but generally there isn't one for breaching the Official Secrets Act.". Any intelligence gathered would be used as leverage to coerce those nations into sanctioning a war in Iraq. BRITISH INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: Someone has betrayed their government and their country. Katharine wonders whether the powers that be just didn't want an ex-GCHQ employee with all she knew to be cross-examined on the stand. Katharine Gun, former intelligence specialist turned whistleblower, discusses the new film "Official Secrets" which details why she leaked a classified memo. It's taken a long time for Katharine to feel comfortable talking about everything that happened. Katharine Teresa Gun, fdd Katharine Teresa Harwood 1974, r en brittisk lingvist och visselblsare. Ms. I could not get it in the paper. Forty years later, JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson tell all about the horror classics secrets, tragedies, and controversies. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: https://democracynow.orgPlease consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! It actually didnt really make a big difference at all., Gun and her legal team decided to fight charges in late 2003. We need another Katharine Gun. More than that, Koza wasnt just asking for information on what these ambassadors and their governments were planning, he seemed to want dirt. We were handed a simple sheet of A4 paper that had a series of words typed on it. She was the real-life translator who photocopied . As a young translator at GCHQ, she leaked a secret email. AMY GOODMAN: I mean, the paper had come out supporting the war. Our writers hold no party line; their only allegiance is to clarity of thought, elegance of expression and independence of opinion. And I said, you know, So, what is this? You didnt know who Katharine Gun was, who had leaked it, but you had the story of the memo that was going to get the goods on these U.N. Security Council members, which would force them to vote for the invasion of Iraq. They want to interview Martin Bright, because youve got the story of this memo. Yes, in 2003, Gun was working for British intelligencethat's GCHQ, the intelligence agency similar to the . Theyd already escorted him down to the custody suite and begun the process. Gun couldnt maintain the pretense that shed had nothing to do with it and confessed almost immediately. Thats the critical point. And truth was having a hard time at The Observer at that point. But I watched Blair with his smug smile and his sterile speeches that tell us nothing . is an independent global news hour that airs on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. MARTIN BRIGHT: It was NSA 'dirty tricks' at the U.N. Yeah, yeah. But its not hard to guess from the, In 2013, Gun spoke with journalist Martin Bright, who published Guns leaked memo and plays a major role in the film, in an interview published by. KNIGHTLEY: Governments change. '", Things moved slowly from then. So, I decided that the risk to my career was minute compared to the upcoming war in Iraq, and the best thing to do for me was to leak this information to the press, so that everybody else could have the information, and hopefully it could avert this disastrous course of events that have occurred. BEN EMMERSON: [played by Ralph Fiennes] You might need our help. Says He Will Sign Bill Criminalizing Drag as Old Photo of Him in Drag Circulates, Lori Lightfoot Loses Reelection for Chicago Mayor; Paul Vallas & Brandon Johnson Advance to Runoff, El Salvadors Pres. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. As he spoke at the base, a volley of mortars came in. AMY GOODMAN: Weve got to make this fast; we have three minutes. She tried to stop the impending . I asked her why she decided to leak the memo. The Smash actress, 36, admitted her 35-year age gap with Foster, 71, was a concern for her - but more because of the . And it was a terrible moment when I had to look in my drawer and find it. Life carried on. She is his first try at marriage, and evidently, he's enjoying his beginner's luck. Katharine was charged with an offense under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1989 on 13 November 2003. Again, this is before the Iraq War. When charges were officially pressed, Guns identity was revealed too. She says this breach was a foolish one-off. "Tony Blair was so obsessed with popularity ratings, I thought that would really affect him.". A translator for UK intelligence agency GCHQ, Gun read a brief from the US National Security Agency urging its British sister organisation to spy on members of the UN Security Council, to gain influence i n a vote on whether to sanction an invasion of Iraq. She has then attributed to being a huge source of information to the medias watch. That is the only consolation I have A lot of people would welcome that. He had no regrets whatsoever about removing Saddam. We should think about that and remember that., 2023 Cond Nast. KATHARINE GUN: Well, its just serendipitous, fortuitous, whatever it is, but his asylum case was coming to an end at the same time that my case began. Gun sits down with Christiane to share her story. It would show that when our politicians break the law they are held accountable. There is no chance of such a war crimes trial. S, Welcome to Love Like This?, a romance column where we, Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Ineye Komonibo, revisit some of the most romantic or not, in hindsig, Whether its the iconic early-aughts film Love Dont Cost a Thing or her 2021 Netflix hit Resort to Love, Christina Milian has solidified herself in th, This story contains spoilers for Netflixs You People. And I justyou know, I just collapsed. AMY GOODMAN: So, youve got it proved. People are traumatizedmilitary personnel are coming back extremely traumatized. Gun, the consciencestricken spy, will almost certainly remain the only British official charged with anything to do with the war in Iraq. She couldnt shake the indelible images of the turkey shoot of retreating Iraqis on the Highway of Death during the first Gulf War in 1991, the road out of Kuwait strewn with burnt-out vehicles and charred bodies. Where Are Katharine Gun and Husband Now? KATHARINE GUN: The idea was to gather information that they could use to bribe them or, you know, threaten them into voting yes for the resolution. Copyright All rights reserved |
Katharine Gun. Gun believed that this would be illegal, a breach of the Vienna Convention governing diplomatic relations. The true story of British Intelligence whistleblower Katharine Gun, who leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation. MARTIN BRIGHT: It was cock-up rather than conspiracy. I was very much aware of what the leaders of our countries, Tony Blair and George W. Bush, were saying at the time. I had bought a couple of books which had been rushed into print at that pointone called War Plan Iraq and the other was called Target Iraq. I was convinced that there was nothing Iraq had done [to warrant the invasion]. Her net worth has been growing . Know all ye by these presents that Katharine Gun is hereby awarded The Corner-Brightener Candlestick, presented by Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence. Were joined also by Martin Bright, who is the journalist who reported Guns revelations in The Observer, as well as Ed Vulliamy. Katharine had assumed a journalist would use the letter as a springboard for their own wider investigation. Members of the Security Council were outraged and any chance of a UN resolution in favour of war collapsed. Let us learn more about the duo and where they are currently. When I saw the red flagit was like, Oh, my gosh, this is so explosive. Economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram on World Bank, Climate Emergency, Global Debt Crisis & More, We Want a Better Future: Meet an Asylum Seeker Evicted from, Jeremy Scahill on Mistreatment of Whistleblowers & Uneven Enforcement of Laws over Classified Papers, Part 1: In 2003, This U.K. Whistleblower Almost Stopped the Iraq Invasion. GUN: Well, no, I was a recipient alongside about a hundred other recipients of that e-mail. AMY GOODMAN: So, Katharine, you read this memo. JASMINE: [played by MyAnna Buring] Youre asking me to collude in a breach of the Official Secrets Act. Two, there is a shadow intelligence operation going on through the Pentagon, all your favorite names on this programDouglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle. MARTIN BRIGHT: The paperthe editorial line was supporting the war, but obviously there were those of us within the paper who didnt. The defense would have argued that, at the time I leaked the memo, I believed the war was illegal. JUDGE HYAM: [played by Kenneth Cranham] Katharine Teresa Gun, youre charged with an offense of the Official Secrets Act. And so it was decided: on the stand she'd state her innocence and hope for the best. CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: But basically, you tried to blow the whistle on what you thought was a false intelligence directive to try to cook up a reason for the Iraq war. Sign up for our Daily News Digest today! This article was originally published inThe Spectators UK magazine. That does it for our show. She found the contents absolutely stunning. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images), https://thespectator.com/topic/katharine-gun-spy-iraq-war/, US edition of the world's oldest magazine, Katharine Gun: the spy who tried to stop the Iraq war, How Syria became the worlds most profitable narco state, How the earthquake is strengthening Syrias dictatorship, Why Netanyahu is right about Israels rogue supreme court. Acclaimed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg described Katharine Guns action as the most important and courageous leak I have ever seen. Dan Ellsberg said, No one elseincluding myselfhas ever done what Katharine Gun did: tell secret truths at personal risk, before an imminent war, in time, possibly, to avert it.. "We just kept waiting in this state of limbo, a constant cloud over my head," she explains. On the phone, she tells me how she came to be there. She believes that her leak probably finished off the second resolution, turning Chile and Mexico against it. 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