The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War

by Marcia Mitchell

  Bletchley Park, 12

  Blix, Hans, 20, 164

  Bolton, John, 55, 59

  Bright, Martin, 25, 30–33, 34, 41, 81, 86, 157–8, 205

  Brown, Gordon, 5, 211

  Brownfield, William, 72

  Bulgaria, 7, 16, 51, 74, 84

  Burnett, John, 173–4

  Bush, George W.: autistic extremism of, 184–5; declassified correspondence with Blair, 2; and democratic principles, 128; deploys US troops to Gulf, 64; desire to be ‘war president’, 184; and doctrine of pre-emption, 59, 62; hanging chads in Florida, 189; intent behind UN spying operation, 15, 17, 18–20, 70, 74, 85, 213, 216; meeting with Blair at Crawford, 28, 57–8, 60, 190; Oval Office meeting with Blair, 12–13, 64–6; regime change as aim of, 3, 4, 17, 28, 55–61, 65–6, 166–7, 178, 179, 185, 186; Saddam as unfinished business for, 53, 55, 179, 184; secret road map to war, 17, 27–8, 34, 51–53, 55–63, 63–7; splits within regime over Iraq strike, 58; State of the Union speech (2003), 64; and ‘the culture war’, 165

  Bush, Jeb, 55

  Caldwell, Alison, 158

  Cameroon, 7, 16, 51, 75, 84

  Campbell, Alistair, 62–3

  Campbell, Sir Menzies, 145, 154, 158, 188

  Carter, Jimmy, 184

  Cash, Bill, 164

  Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 4, 205

  Chakrabarti, Shami, 140, 141, 149

  Challen, Colin, 160, 168–9

  Cheltenham, 51

  Cheney, Dick, 13, 53, 55, 184

  Chilcot report (2016), 1–2, 3

  Chile, 7, 16, 29, 70, 71–2, 84

  China, 34, 35, 51, 69, 179, 211, 212

  Chirac, Jacques, 69

  Clinton, Bill, 55–6, 59, 141

  Coleman-Adebayo, Dr. Marsha, 196

  Cook, Robin, 66–7, 76, 77–9, 167, 178, 188–9, 214

  Corbyn, Jeremy, 175

  Cortopassi, Tommy, 69

  Crown Prosecution Service, 2, 98, 137–8, 140–1, 147, 157–8, 162

  Davies, Ben, 196

  Davies, Denzil, 174

  Dearlove, Sir John, 60, 61, 62

  Echelon (eye in the sky), 84–5

  Eckhard, Fred, 161

  Edmonds, Sibel, 198–9

  Ellison, Mark, 150–1, 155, 211, 212

  Ellsberg, Daniel, 74, 128, 192–3, 197, 199–200

  Emmerson, Ben, 128, 149, 151

  Enigma code, German, 12

  Evening Standard (London), 95

  Falconer, Lord, 151

  Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 12, 46, 198, 199

  Fernandez, Mariano, 71

  Fleischer, Ari, 81–82

  Foley, Linda, 128

  Fonda, Jane, 182

  Fox, Vincente, 29, 72

  France, 34, 35, 51, 67, 69–70, 75, 77, 84

  Franks, Tommy, 58

  Gale, Stephen, 98

  Germany, 67, 69, 77, 84

  Gilligan, Andrew, 99

  Glover, Danny, 128

  Goldsmith, Lord (Attorney General), 60, 75, 141; alters legal advice to Blair, 76–7, 142, 145–7, 159–60, 164, 165–8, 169–77, 188, 195; exact details of legal advice given, 165–7, 172; Gun prosecution focuses attention on advice to Blair, 137, 141–42, 145–7, 153, 156, 158–160, 162, 164, 169–77, 184

  Gore, Al, 189

  Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), 12, 15–9, 65, 101–2, 207–08; espionage operations against Iran, 193; and Gun’s leak of memo, 26–7, 36–7, 40–42, 128, 156; human resources administration, 98–100, 102–3; Katharine starts work at (2001), 40–1, 118–9; nature of Gun’s work at, 19, 54–5, 74, 181; new ‘doughnut’, 39, 208; staff memorandum on legality of Iraq War, 17–8, 24; Yasar’s café near, 15, 18, 21–2; see also Koza memorandum (from NSA to GCHQ)

  Greece, 205

  Grevil, Frank, 198

  Grieve, Dominic, 168, 169–70, 171

  Guardian newspaper, 1, 38, 87–8, 90, 91, 126, 148, 151, 214

  Guinea, 7, 16, 51, 75, 84

  Gun, Katharine, as whistleblower: appeal to potential whistle-blowers, 191–2; arrested and taken into custody, 42–3, 44–5, 46–7, 67, 87; charged with official Secrets Act offences, 123–5; charges against dropped, 148, 150–4, 155–60, 161–2, 163–5, 168–77, 183–4; confesses to leak, 40–2; conscience of, 38, 119–20, 124–5, 126, 127, 180, 189, 191, 196, 214; copies and leaks Koza memorandum, 26–7; criticism and hatred of, 180–3, 192; decision to leak e-mail, 15–16, 18–20, 23–4, 26, 118; employment disciplinary proceedings, 98–100, 102–3; GCHQ interview over leak, 36–7; has no regrets, 102, 154, 182, 214; hopes to remain anonymous, 20, 23, 26, 179; informal truth-telling alliances, 196–200; leaked email’s journey to Observer, 27, 30, 31–2; legal representation, 90–1; motivations of, 19–20, 25, 180–3, 189, 191; nature of work at GCHQ, 19, 54–5, 74, 181; and political limelight, 193–5; prosecution of, 123–30, 135–9, 140–42, 145–54, 155–60, 161–62, 168–77, 189; receives email, 15–19; released from police custody, 87–8; respects Short and Wilmshurst, 186; Scotland Yard interrogation of, 42, 45–6; support from American celebrities, 128–9; visit from Scotland Yard, 96–7

  Gun, Katharine, personal life: childhood and education, 106–17; eight month limbo period, 95–105; global ethics master’s degree, 103–5; grandmother and aunts, 35, 87, 91–92, 97, 126; as loyally British, 39; marches against the invasion, 64; meets and marries Yasar, 21–22; pregnancy, 208–9, 210; quiet four weeks after leak, 28; rebuilding of normal life, 204–10; short-lived work in direct-sales, 100–1; starts work at GCHQ (2001), 40–1, 118–9; teaches in Japan, 107, 117–8, 119; wholehearted family support for, 89–90, 91–92, 95, 97–8, 103, 126; see also Gun, Yasar; Harwood, Jan (mother of Katharine); Harwood, Paul (father of Katharine)

  Gun, Yasar, 15, 20, 23–4, 25, 91, 96, 100, 103–4, 148, 152–3; deportation attempts, 22–23, 131–3; eludes paparazzi, 124, 126; immigration status of, 22–3, 35, 131–4, 152, 175, 194, 202–3; and Katharine’s arrest, 43, 44, 46–7; rebuilding of normal life, 204, 206–7, 208, 209, 210; supports Katharine’s leak decision, 35–6, 39–40; work at café near GCHQ, 15, 18, 21–22

  Harman, Harriet, 156, 168–77

  Harwood, Jan (mother of Katharine), 88, 89–90, 106, 115, 126, 142, 208–9; in Cheltenham with Katharine, 97–8, 99, 100–1; life in Taiwan, 107–8, 109–14; strong relationship with Katharine, 97–8, 102, 113–4, 116–7

  Harwood, Mike (brother of Katharine), 35, 88, 108, 109–10, 113

  Harwood, Paul (father of Katharine), 22, 87–90, 91, 98, 104, 107–14, 126, 132

  Hayden, Michael, 13, 53, 213

  Herbert, Bob, 129

  Hiroshima, Peace Memorial Park, 117–8, 119

  Hogg, Douglas, 175–6

  Hughes, Beverley, 132, 133

  Hughes, Chris, 30

  Hugill, Barry, 152, 157

  Hutton enquiry, 136, 201

  Hyam, Michael, 153, 155

  Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA), 205

  intelligence agencies; Clare Short revelations, 160–1, 162–3, 187; disquiet over legality of war, 17–8, 17, 61, 65; Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), 61, 66–7; Koza memorandum ‘acted on’ by, 27; notorious dossier on Iraq, 62–3, 195; Shayler on misuse of secrecy, 158; unwritten rules of leaking/briefing, 20–1; see also Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)

  intelligence agencies, US, 17, 193, 211–14; Clare Short revelations, 160–1, 162–3; NSA as most mysterious of, 11–12; see also Koza memorandum (from NSA to GCHQ); National Security Agency, US

  International Atomic Energy Agency, 63

  Iran, 4, 60, 191–94, 215

  Iraq War: and 2008 presidential election, 125; British intelligence/official disquiet at legality of, 17–8, 27, 61, 65; and British public opinion, 61, 64, 136, 156, 166, 188–9; Gun prosecution as test of legality of, 135–7, 145–7, 153–4, 156, 163–4; House of Commons debate on Gun case (26 February 2004), 168–77; political hindsight over in US, 2; search for legal justification for, 3, 20, 57–8, 59–61, 65–6; start of (March 2003), 90
; tawdry tale of run-up to in USA, 53–4, 55–67, 68–80, 81–86; and US public opinion, 64; see also Gun, Katharine, as whistleblower; Koza memorandum (from NSA to GCHQ)

  Islam, 188, 182–3

  Ivins, Molly, 129

  Jackson, Jesse, 128

  ‘Jane’ (accomplice), 23, 26, 27, 29–30, 45–6

  Japan, 107, 117–8, 119

  John Paul, Pope, 75

  Jones, Jon Owen, 175

  Jones, Nigel, 132, 175

  Jowell, Tessa, 169

  Kelly, Dr David, 200–1

  Kinsley, Michael, 54

  Koza, Frank, 11-12, 32–3, 64–5, 66, 102

  Koza memorandum (from NSA to GCHQ), 7–8, 11–14, 16–7, 28, 64–5, 66; ‘acted on’ by British intelligence, 27; continuing importance of leak, 213–7; Gun copies and leaks, 26–7; Gun receives email, 11–12, 15–9; Gun’s decision to leak e-mail, 11, 12, 13–14, 18–9, 23–4, 26, 118; Observer’s publishes, 33–6, 38, 67, 68, 81–2, 88; publication reveals Bush/Blair secret map to war, 51, 52–3; Ridley offers to press, 30–42; US media ignores leak, 69–70, 74, 81–86, 88, 157, 164–5

  Lagos, Ricardo, 71–2

  Lander, Stephen, 62–3

  Lavrov, Sergey, 161

  legal system, UK: Code for Crown Prosecutors, 137–8, 168–9; CPS independence, 140–1, 162; defence of necessity/duress, 158–9, 141, 145–7, 156, 171, 174, 175, 189; public interest defence as not permitted, 138; reasons for collapse of Gun case, 155–60, 161–62, 168–9, 183–4; Shawcross exercise, 169–70; see also Official Secrets Act (OSA)

  Libby, I. Lewis ‘Scooter’, 55, 199

  Liberty, 91, 99, 100, 123–4, 127–30, 138–9, 147–9, 152–3, 159, 217; Advance Notice of Defence Statement, 135, 142, 145–7, 156, 157, 170, 184

  Locke, Keith, 74–5

  Los Angeles Times, 54, 85

  Lutz, Robert, 180–1

  Macdonald, Ken, 141, 162

  Manning, David, 51, 65

  McAllister, J.F.O., 135, 136

  McCain, John, The Restless Wave, 4

  McCarthy, Mary, 200

  McGovern, Ray, 197–8, 199, 204

  McKay, Sir William, 172

  Menwith Hill (Yorkshire), 75, 193

  Mexico, 29, 35, 62, 70–1, 72–3

  MI5, 62–3

  MI6, 32, 60, 61, 62

  Middle East, 179, 184, 193, 195

  Morrison Academy (Taiwan), 110–12, 114, 115, 119

  motivation, human, 179–90, 191

  Mueller, Robert, 199

  Muñoz, Heraldo, 72

  National Security Agency, US: illegal spy operation on UNSC, 16–17, 68, 69–75, 79–80, 81–86, 87–90, 146, 164–5, 176, 213–17 see also Koza memorandum (from NSA to GCHQ)issues of compliance with law, 213; Kunia (Hawaiian listening post), 212; spying on China, 211, 212

  Negroponte, John, 70

  New York Times, 58, 65, 83, 129, 157

  news media, British, 20–1, 76–7, 125–6, 127, 129–30, 151–2, 153, 157; see also Observer newspaper

  news media, US, 54, 83, 128–9, 157, 205; ignores Koza memo leak, 69–70, 74, 81–86, 88, 157, 164–5; mission to help war effort, 69–70, 74, 81–86, 88

  Norton-Taylor, Richard, 38, 87

  Observer newspaper, 30–32, 59, 74, 90–1, 127, 157–8, 213, 216–7; possibility of legal action against, 25, 33, 41; publishes memo, 33–6, 38, 67, 68, 81–82, 88; Shayler injunction, 33; vetting process to authenticate memo, 32–3

  Official Secrets Act (OSA), 33–4, 41–2, 98, 100, 171, 180–82, 187, 211–13; 1989 revision of, 41, 138, 139, 140; Katharine Harwood signs, 40–1, 119; Ponting case, 139–40; pressure for reform of, 153, 157, 213, 216–7; public interest as not a defence, 138, 139, 140; publishing as an offense under, 25, 33; Shayler case, 33, 138, 139, 140, 212–3

  oil, 69, 179

  Old Bailey, 149–52

  Pakistan, 7, 16, 51, 73–4, 84

  Palestine state issue, 57–8, 78–9

  Pasquill, Derek, 211, 212

  Paxman, Jeremy, 153

  Penn, Sean, 128

  Pentagon Papers, 74, 192

  Pepper, David, 12, 53, 102–3

  Perle, Richard, 55, 56

  Plame, Valerie, 55

  Plato, 178, 179, 184

  Ponting, Clive, 139–40

  Powell, Colin, 17, 28–9, 34, 58, 63, 66

  Priest, Dana, 200

  Project for a New American Century (PNAC), 55–6

  Public and Civil Services Union, 91

  religion, 110–12, 184

  Rice, Condoleezza, 13, 35, 64–5, 72–3, 214

  Richards, Sir Francis, 12, 27, 53, 60

  Ridley, Yvonne, 29–32, 37, 46, 125

  Robertson, Hugh, 177

  Rowley, Coleen, 198, 199

  Rumsfeld, Donald, 13, 55, 58

  Russia, 34, 35, 51, 73, 69, 73, 77, 84, 161

  Rycroft, Matthew, 51

  Saddam Hussein, 2, 3, 17, 51, 63–4, 186, 189, 194–5; Clinton’s efforts to topple, 55–6, 59; illegal US/UK air attacks on (2002), 58–9; and oil, 69, 179; as unfinished business for Bush regime, 53, 55–6, 179, 184

  Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence, 198

  Scarlett, John, 61, 66–7

  Serrano, Jose, 69

  Shayler, David, 33, 138, 139, 140, 158, 212–3

  Sheen, Martin, 128

  Short, Clare, 56–7, 58, 76, 77, 78–9, 159–60, 163, 179, 186–7, 214

  Slaughter, Anne-Marie, 84

  Smale, Alison, 83

  Solomon, Norman, 81, 83

  Spain, 59, 64

  Starr, Donald, 116

  Steinem, Gloria, 128

  Stop the War Coalition, 31, 193–4

  Straw, Jack, 12, 71

  Taiwan, 28, 35, 39, 87–90, 104, 106–14, 119

  Tavrov, Stefan, 74

  Tenet, George, 13

  Time Magazine Europe, 1

  The Times newspaper, 82

  Tomlinson, Richard, 140

  Trenear-Harvey, Glenmore, 181, 182–3

  Turkey, 5, 22–23, 132-33

  United Kingdom: Cabinet Office briefing paper (July 2022), 54, 60; ‘Downing Street memorandum’ (July 2002), 54, 60–1, 166–7; illegal bombing of Iraqi targets (2002), 58–9; leaked papers from July 2002, 54, 60–1; Parliament, 52, 53, 54, 61, 63, 168–77; see also Blair, Tony; intelligence agencies, British

  United Nations: Clare Short revelations, 160–1, 163, 187; General Assembly, 62; long history of spying at, 52, 73–4, 215

  United Nations Security Council (UNSC): Powell’s WMD pitch to, 17, 28–9, 34, 63, 66; Resolution 1441 on Iraq, 63, 65, 67, 159, 166, 188; second resolution, campaign for, 17, 18–20, 28–9, 34, 36, 51–52, 65–6, 83–5; second resolution, failure to secure, 68–70, 142, 145–6, 166, 188, 213–4; UN investigation into US bugging, 74; US illegal spy operation on, 68, 69–75, 79–80, 81–86, 87–90, 146, 164–5, 176, 213–7 see also Koza memorandum (from NSA to GCHQ)US pressure/’arm-twisting’ on undecided countries, 28, 29, 34, 35, 52, 70–74, 75, 85–6, 216

  United States: anti-French protests, 69–70; Congress, 52, 58, 63, 69, 84–5, 102, 125; failure to notice international upheaval, 79–80, 81–86, 88, 164–5; federation of churches anti-war plan, 78–9; illegal bombing of Iraqi targets (2002), 58–9; presidential election campaign (2008), 125; shocking dirty secrets since 9/11, 195, 212; tarnished image abroad, 216; tawdry tale of run-up to Iraq war, 53–4, 55–67, 68–80, 81–86; types of information whose disclosure is criminalized, 199; see also Bush, George W.; intelligence agencies, US

  Valdés, Juan Gabriel, 29, 34, 70, 71, 72

  Vasagar, Jeevan, 38, 87

  Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, 161, 176

  Vietnam War, 74, 192

  Villepin, Dominique de, 75

  Vulliamy, Ed, 32–3, 34, 41, 85

  Wadham, John, 46, 91, 98–99

  Waihopai spy base (New Zealand), 74–5

  Wallis, Jim, 78

  Washington Post, 73, 83–5, 157, 200

  weapons of mass dest
ruction (WMD): ‘45-minute threat’, 61, 62, 63, 66–7, 99; Hans Blix’s inspection team, 20, 63, 64, 164; Bush case as thin, 51, 60–1; failure to find, 135, 136, 193; Powell’s pitch to UNSC, 17, 28–9, 34, 63, 66; as pretext for regime change, 17, 28, 54, 57, 66, 166–7, 178, 179, 186, 193; scepticism at UNSC about intelligence reports, 69; and US public opinion, 54

  Weir, Michael, 176

  Welch, James, 138–9, 148, 149, 151–51, 156–7

  West, Nigel, 181–82, 193–4

  whistle-blowers: and 1989 revision of OSA, 41, 138, 139, 140; American University symposium (2004), 197–9, 204; consequences for, 195–4, 198–9, 200–1, 202–10; deluge of leaks after Gun, 189, 215; Ellsberg as most celebrated, 74, 128; Gun as leader, 191–192, 214–5; Gun on necessity of, 191, 194–5; importance of in USA, 216; and issue of timing, 183, 192–3; truth-telling alliances, 196–200; Truth-Telling Project, 199–200, 205; ‘unlikely’ candidates, 191, 196–7

  Whitmer, Dr. Peter O., 184–5

  Williams, Rowan, 75

  Wilmshurst, Elizabeth, 68, 76–7, 79, 147, 165, 172, 179, 186, 187–8, 214

  Wolfowitz, Paul, 55

  Woolf, Lord, 138

  Workman, Timothy, 127

  World Trade Centre attacks (9/11), 3, 198–199

  Wright, Tim, 69

  Yemen, 73

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  THE AUTHORS ARE grateful to a number of fine people whose wisdom and support were invaluable in researching and writing this book.

  In the United Kingdom: Katharine and Yasar Gun, who told their story well and without violating restrictions imposed by the Official Secrets Act; James Welch, brilliant Liberty solicitor; Martin Bright, political editor of the New Statesman and former courageous home affairs editor of the Observer; the Right Honourable Clare Short, member of Parliament and former Blair cabinet minister, who spoke with fire and conviction; Elizabeth Wilmshurst, former Foreign Office deputy legal adviser and respected international law expert; two special people from the intelligence community – Glenmore Trenear-Harvey, intelligence analyst, and Nigel West, noted writer and former member of Parliament; gracious Paul and Jan Harwood; crusading journalist Yvonne Ridley; and Ava Astaire and Richard McKenzie, who made their London home our own.