UK spies 'bugged UN's Kofi Annan' (BBC World)

[Mokito]

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.

Ms Short said she had read transcripts of some of Mr Annan's conversations.

She 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."

Tony Blair said the claims were "deeply irresponsible" and appeared to cast doubt on her future as a Labour MP.

more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3488548.stm

[underpants]

1. I am continually amazed at speed with which they deal with things

I'd be that only 5% of Americans are even aware that there are questions/allegations of spying on UN delegates. The Brits seem to actually confront, and often white wash, issues while in the US just ignores them.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. You know this is true:

The Secretary General's spokesman, Fred Eckhardt, said Mr Annan had nothing to hide and that anyone who wanted to know his opinion on an issue just had to ask him to his face.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. The Brits spied on Kofi Annan on orders from the WH

Sunday March 2, 2003
The Observer

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12239,905936,00.html

Sources in Washington familiar with the operation said last week that there had been a division among Bush administration officials over whether to pursue such a high-intensity surveillance campaign with some warning of the serious consequences of discovery.

The existence of the surveillance operation, understood to have been requested by President Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is deeply embarrassing to the Americans in the middle of their efforts to win over the undecided delegations.




This isn't just a British scandal, this goes all the way to the top of the WH. May it be the end of them all.

[pink_poodle]

5. I thought this issue had been dealt with in the press a few.........

months ago. It's amazing how long it takes for things to become really public.

[welshTerrier2]

9. Absolutely True

here's some additional info on the U.S. involvement:

source: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20040226/ts_nm/iraq_britain_spies_dc

Title: Blair Hit by Annan Spying Claim, U.N. Cries Foul

Short's allegation comes a day after Britain dropped charges against a translator who admitted leaking a top-secret U.S. document seeking London's help in bugging United Nations members in the run-up to the war.

btw, does this sound just a wee little bit like Frist and his judiciary committee crooks spying on democrats on the judiciary committee ...

when will the democrats utter the word: WATERGATE !!!

i'm just waiting to hear Frist, bush, Cheney, Blair, et al use those immortal words: I am not a crook !!

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. I dare Blair to prosecute Short

Asked whether she should be prosecuted or face Labour Party discipline Mr Blair said he would "have to reflect upon" her comments, adding: "There will obviously be issues that arise... I am not in a position to answer them at the moment."

What could she be prosecuted for? If it wasn't true, then she hasn't leaked any official secrets. And all she did was describe what happened to her - not the contents of the Annan bugging. How's that an official secret? Would Blair really want a court case detailing what bugging reports she saw?

Blair himself can't chuck anyone out of the party - it has to be a committee (like George Galloway was chucked out). Short has far more support in the party than Galloway had - since nearly everyone believes her, I can't see them expelling her.

[TankLV]

6. 1st off - this is really old news to us DU'rs.

(I understand why it's "breaking news" now - with her having "spilled the beans" now and all).

We knew about it almost the day after it happened.

It's only "news" to the clueless and uninformed - meaning the majority of the americans who only watch Amerikkkan TV news and read Amerikkkan newspapers.

Glad to see "investigative" "journalists" are managing to do their job in a timely manner - NOT!

I just LOVE it how the perps who did this shit are always upset at the person who tells about it or those that report it - but somehow are not at all phased about the CRIME that was committed!

Simply astounding!

I just hope there are literally THOUSANDS of patriotic and righteous American & World citizens who keep copies of all the incriminating evidence & will not hesitate any longer to come forward with their damning evidence for all the world to see.

This should be actively and continually and vociferously encouraged - can't there be some a fund established or some wealthy benefactor who can provide aid and comfort to these whistleblowers?

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. It didn't happen on a single day

Short says it's a standard practice to bug Kofi Annan - that's why she thought, when talking to him, "this will end up on the transcript too".

In fact, no-one is sure it's illegal. Unethical, yes, but not necessarily breaking a particular law, national or international.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

8. UN (well Annan's spokesman)

said that it was illegal (in terms of breaking international treaties - he cited 3 inc the Vienna Convention) in their press conference at 5, although didn't see what the UN could do about it other than asking the countries involved to stop it.

FWIW, Clare Short's being interviewed tonight on Channel 4 news (in the UK).

(btw - Downing St's announced that they're going to review the OSA to tighten it up(?!!) so that what happened yesturday (& I assume this morning) can't happen again.)

[dArKeR]

10. U.N. Spying Dubbed 'Illegal' - CBS

The United Nations said Thursday that alleged British spying on Secretary-General Kofi Annan's office, if true, is illegal and must be stopped.

It was the world body's first official reaction to the charge by Clare Short, a former member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Cabinet, that Britain spied on Annan in the run-up to last year's Iraq war, when Washington and London tried unsuccessfully to get U.N. authorization to attack Saddam Hussein.

Short said she had read transcripts of Annan's conversations.

"The U.K. in this time was also getting, spying on Kofi Annan's office and getting reports from him about what was going on," she said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/03/iraq/main542516.shtml