Ex-minister says Britain spied on Kofi Annan

[Roon]

LONDON - British intelligence agents spied on U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in the run up to the Iraq war, a former member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Cabinet said Thursday.

Blair refused to say whether the allegation was true, but said the former minister had been "deeply irresponsible."

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4378601/

[Must_B_Free]

1. what dows this mean? what we already know

that Blair is a lying murderer?

[emad]

2. Here's a link to the BBC news story in the UK:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3488548.stm

<snip>:
UK spies 'bugged UN's Kofi Annan'

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.

UN officials said they did not know whether the allegations were true or not, but say such actions would have been illegal. 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. At his monthly news conference the prime minister was repeatedly asked about Ms Short's comments .

Clare Short has been a thorn in the government's side since she quit
Mr Blair said: "I'm not going to comment on the work of our security services - do not take that as an indication that the allegations made by Clare Short are true. "I really do regard what Clare Short has said this morning as totally irresponsible, and entirely consistent." 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." He insisted the UK security services acted in accordance with domestic and international law and in the best interests of this country, but the UN said any British spying on Mr Annan would be illegal.

<snip>