Ex-GCHQ officer cleared over leak (UN bugging)

[DoYouEverWonder]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3485072.stm

Wednesday, 25 February, 2004

A GCHQ translator sacked for revealing a secret e-mail has been cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act.

Katharine Gun, 29, from Cheltenham, claimed the e-mail was from US spies asking British officers to tap phones of nations voting on war against Iraq.

She walked free on Wednesday when the prosecution offered no evidence.

Mrs Gun had always said she had acted in an effort to prevent the war, and outside court said: "I have no regrets and I would do it again."



The prosecution offered no evidence? Gun was fired from her job and brought to trial and the prosecution is too embarrassed to present evidence? I guess she's just lucky they didn't do to her what they did to David Kelly.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

1. Fantastic!! (though slightly frustrating)

Really, really pleased for Katherine Gun. She's a national hero, sadly unknown to many. But it is annoying that this never got to trial because it could have revealed more about the machinations in the run-up to war (& esp the Attorney General's full legal advice).

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. I'm not sure how the law works in England

but could she counter-sue the government for damages? Then she could force them to present evidence about the charges they brought against her.

[Nihil]

5. She could + She can't = They wont

Or, less cryptically,

She could sue.
(Plenty of precedent and they can hardly contest the case here.)

She can't force them to present anything.
(No contest + agreed silence or full out of court settlement.)

They wont present anything.
(No need to. Their aim has been achieved. The lack of follow-up
detail at the time allows shredding/amending of any related records
plus the "warning" has been issued to others who may feel the same way.)

Nihil

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Excellent news!

[SpiralHawk]

4. And now the US Media Borg will IGNORE

this inconvenient story. Nothing to see here. Move along.

All is well. The pResident is defending the Samtimonitude of America. That's all you need to know.