AMY GOODMAN: And then everyoneFOX, CNNand then they all cancel. KATHARINE GUN: My husband had absolutely nothing to do with this. And it was. The terror of that period took a toll on Gun, who suffered from PTSD for years. AMY GOODMAN: And talk about what happened then. Democracy Now! So, naturally, it's Katharine Gun who's being punished. Target. MARTIN BRIGHT: It was cock-up rather than conspiracy. By Nick Wall/IFC Films/Everett Collection. Official Secrets recounts Gun's story, from her fateful decision (which of course accomplished nothing in the end, even though the leak quickly went public) to her bizarre criminal trial. Two, there is a shadow intelligence operation going on through the Pentagon, all your favorite names on this programDouglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle. KATHARINE GUN: [played by Keira Knightley] Do you mean have I leaked anything else? On the night of the 19th of March, 2003, the bombs began to fall. Gun did not seek martyrdom and wasnt searching for evidence to stop the war: the email fell into her lap. A month later, the Observer splashed the story over its front page. As the build-up to war continued, Gun felt increasing dismay. I mean, its every journalists dream to have these, you know, front-page splash stories that get followed up around the world. In that time, Katharine was interviewed again, and then escorted to the canteen. It stunned Katharine Gun at the time she discovered this duplicity during her work at GCHQ, and it still stuns to see it displayed on the screen, especially actual news reports from the period. ED VULLIAMY: Well, I put on an American accent, and I said, Can I have Mr. Kozas office, please? But then you turn yourself in. GAVIN HOOD: Yes. What? How scary was it for you to go ahead and do what you did? Neither have many others, especially . "Public opinion was just so obviously against the invasion that I thought it wouldn't happen," she recalls. 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. Then the story went away, and that's how I wanted it at that time, because I was actually quite traumatized by the whole thing. She did add, however, that she's hopeful the film will shed much needed light on the subject. On January 23 2003, Gun, who worked . And so we had at least that. It later emerged that the newspaper was collaborating very, very closely with Tony Blair and his sort of enforcers to keep this kind of thing out of the paper. The film stars Ma. Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war. She became the spy who tried to stop a war. AMY GOODMAN: Right, because it said like F-A-V-O-U-R, instead of V-O-R. AMY GOODMAN: And so that proves its a fake memo, they think. Yeah. is an independent global news hour that airs on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. AMY GOODMAN: And the idea was they would figure out which way they were going to vote, so that they could sway them. interviewed Katharine Gun. KATHARINE GUN, WHISTLEBLOWER: Its you know, its very hard to explain the point of view I had or the mental state I was in at the time. And so it was decided: on the stand she'd state her innocence and hope for the best. It was only September 2002 but the carrier was about to leave for the Gulf. AMANPOUR: And in the film, your character played by Keira Knightley basically says I mean, you say you were proud of working in GCHQ until you saw this memo. Whos that? I said, Im ringing about the GCHQ memo that you sent. Click. September 12, 2019 | 12:17 pm. Katharine Gun. Copyright All rights reserved | Right away, Katharine knew the significance of this message. The film is coming out August 30th in theaters around the country. And I justyou know, I just collapsed. Its 15 years later. (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. But, in 2003, when she came across an email suggesting that the United States and the U.K. governments were intending to blackmail members of the United Nations to authorize an invasion of Iraq, Gunthen just 28felt morally obligated to leak the letter. The moment she walked out of GCHQ, she was breaking the Official Secrets Act, perhaps committing an act of treason. She remains an intensely private personbut, when director Gavin Hood began the process of adapting 2008s The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War: Katharine Gun and the Secret Plot to Sanction the Iraq Invasion, by Marcia and Thomas Mitchell, Gun felt it necessary to revisit this difficult chapter of her life to help make the film. That is the only consolation I have A lot of people would welcome that. Hood's film dramatizes events in 2003 and 2004, beginning with British whistleblower Katharine Gun's decision to leak a memo exposing the criminality of the Iraq War and ending with her . Now, the political thriller, In case you arent too familiar with Guns story, I dont want to give too much away about what the movie shows. You wanted to stop the Iraq war. Bush never wanted yet another UN resolution and when one failed to arrive, Blair decided it wasnt needed after all. The true story of British Intelligence whistleblower Katharine Gun, who leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation. Jack Goldsmith, former head of the Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush, discusses the limits of executive power with Christiane Amanpour. 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). It isn't a crime, it's a responsibility.". Only a select number of people had received the communication, and GCHQ were going to want to know who'd blown the whistle. Katharine Gun, former intelligence specialist turned whistleblower, discusses the new film "Official Secrets" which details why she leaked a classified memo. And whereas usually with a whistleblower, you would work very closely with them directly, Katharine didnt come to me. As of 2020, Gun and her husband Yasar live in both Turkey and Britain. ED VULLIAMY: Well, oh, indeed, brilliantly played his subject. For eight months she was bailed and bailed again, repeatedly. The morning of Friday the 31st of January, 2003 started out just like any other. "Tony Blair was so obsessed with popularity ratings, I thought that would really affect him.". AMY GOODMAN: So you had nothing to do with what was going on, covering stuff in Iraq or working on that issue. You tried to call. As of 2019, she lived in Turkey with her husband and daughter for several years. Where Are Katharine Gun and Husband Now? And I hope that it can get people, Americans, to follow their conscience, and do the right thingstand up for what they believe in., With the world at an even more critical inflection point under controversial leadership, Gun hopes that others might find the courage to speak up if they come across as damning evidence as she dideven if it means temporarily sacrificing comfort. We speak with a British whistleblower whose attempts to expose lies about the Iraq invasion was called "the most important and courageous leak" in history by. Whistleblower Katharine Gun and journalist Martin Bright are interviewed for their new movie Official Secrets for the films LFF screening. She believes that her leak probably finished off the second resolution, turning Chile and Mexico against it. Koza's email outlined an American plot to conduct surveillance on the United Nations offices in Angola, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea and Pakistan to find out whether they would vote in favour of supporting the American invasion of Iraq. "My boys," the "Waitress" actress captioned the snap . KATHARINE GUN: Well, they dropped the charges against me. It seemed like it was, you know, the wagons were rolling fast and furious towards this awful situation and I was kind of in tunnel vision. GUN: Thats right. Katharine Gun has a much better grasp of the true spirit of democracy than Tony Blair. This month, a new film Official Secrets, in which she's played by Keira Knightly will be released, telling her story. Former British intelligence officer Katharine Gun didnt set out to become a whistle-blower. ONLINE:YouTube: http://youtube.com/democracynow Facebook: http://facebook.com/democracynow Twitter: https://twitter.com/democracynowInstagram: http://instagram.com/democracynowSoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/democracynow iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/democracy-now!-audio/id73802554 Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe Yasar's wife is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the GCHQ, Government Communications Headquarters. Well, now Katharine Guns story is being told in the new film Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley. It was a crisis meeting because they had failed to get a second UN resolution, to give legal cover for the war. AMY GOODMAN: Tony Blair was the prime minister of Britain at the time. I work for the British people. And so, I was going crazy. Courtroom porn and social media have turned innocent bystanders into a mass of mudslingers. Nerves tingling, she went home. And he had told me over two meetings, A, we know that Saddam Hussein has no weapons of mass destruction. We're looking at the real-life political thriller of a British intelligence specialist, Katharine Gun, who risked everything to blow the whistle on U.S. dirty tricks at the United Nations in the lead-up to the Iraq invasion in 2003. So, today, at the age of 59, Cary Stayner is incarcerated at the San Quentin State Prison. Gun, the consciencestricken spy, will almost certainly remain the only British official charged with anything to do with the war in Iraq. And it was a terrible moment when I had to look in my drawer and find it. When Katharine Gun came across a memo while working for the British government in 2003, her whole world changed. Just for a moment, some imagined that this might be enough to stop the Iraq war before it had begun. . Martin Bright, youre able to move forward with this story. Yasar Gun is the husband of a British whistleblower, Katharine Gun, who revealed top-secret information. Two days later, she gave the email to a friend who had several contacts in the press. When an American is asked to define the term whistleblower," they will probably reference Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning. After this, the authorities again started plotting to deport Yasar back to the Middle East. In Official Secrets, Gun is played by Keira Knightley while Matt Smith takes on the role of Martin Bright. In the movie "Official Secrets," the character called Katharine Gun, who is played by Keira Knightley, actually discusses this memo with colleagues at GCHQ. At the end of the day, we are accountable to our conscience. After the issue, they moved to Turkey in 2011 with her whole family to avoid the general public eye. As noted in online sources, the former spy's birth year is recorded to be 1974. . She was sitting at her computer in GCHQ when an email arrived from one Frank Koza, chief of staff at the regional targets division of the US National Security Agency. Official Secrets is based on the actions of Brit Katharine Gun, who revealed that America had been eavesdropping on diplomats from other countries. Gun was cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act after being fired for revealing a secret e-mail. AMY GOODMAN: Because Chile was one of the six. Soon after, they moved to Turkey in 2011, and for the most part, the family has stayed away from the public . So we at least hadwe at least had a lead. Gun, a translator with the British intelligence service known as Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), received a document just before the war from an NSA manager, seeking British intelligence support in spying on . Following the incident, Gun struggled to find work that she loved, and her husband had grown disillusioned with Britain. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. Katharine Gun knew exactly the sort of work she was employed to do; two years into a job at GCHQ as a Mandarin "analyst" and "translator", it's hard not to. She was the real-life translator who photocopied . Tell us the moment. 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. Latest Martin Milner Net Worth Income Salary, Andrew Witty Biography , Wife Age, Family Salary & Net Worth: UnitedHealth Group CEO, Blaize Pearman Wikipedia, Net Worth, Age, Bio, Mother Lydia Gaulden. 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 . Hundreds of thousands, millions of people have been affected by it, and those effects continue to this day. But its just because the copy editor ran it through spell check. GCHQ began a leak inquiry, interviewing everyone. delivered to your inbox every day? During that period of purgatory, I ask, did she regret it all? I was like, Mmm. Keira Knightley plays Katharine Gun in the film Official Secrets (Photo: eOne) Now living quietly in Turkey, Gun has been thrust into the global spotlight once again . Keira Knightley is persuasive as Katharine Gun, a British GCHQ employee who in 2003 leaked a sensitive document in the hopes of preventing her country from invading Iraq a decision that did . I talked to a couple of colleagues about it, about even taking it to the editor, because you dont want to take a half-baked story to your editor, particularly at the time of intense prewar preparation. You know, I thought it was something that people needed to know about, because it was basically exposing what was going on behind the scenes and the fact that, you know, all the flowery words that they used in front of the cameras about doing everything diplomatically was a sham. Our writers hold no party line; their only allegiance is to clarity of thought, elegance of expression and independence of opinion. BRITISH INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: Someone has betrayed their government and their country. Katharine spent that night in a cell underneath the local police station. Katharine Gun. Drawing on more than 100,000 leaked documents, a. Official Secrets. AMY GOODMAN: And talk about whatI mean, you risked everything. On 5 March Gun confessed to leaking the plot and was arrested for violating the Official Secrets Act. I actually felt like, if I do this anonymously, nobody will realize its me and Ill carry on as usual. But about a month after leaking the letter, Gun was stunned to see that The Observer had published the document in full on its front page. I filed that story seven times to The Observer. "This was crossing a red line for me," she says. "But there are things you have to do not for the result but for the principle, because they are right.". Now, she was being asked to help get a new war authorised by finding material for the Americans to blackmail and bribe the international community. Woman who tried to stop a war. It was a crisis meeting because they had failed to get a second UN resolution, to give legal cover for the war. Gun put her career and her very liberty at risk trying to prevent the launching of an illegal war. Famed U.K. whistleblower Katharine Gun joins Justin on Extension 720 to talk about, "Official Secrets," the new movie based on her real life story.Gun leaked a secret memo exposing an illegal spying operation by the United States of America, looking for information with which to blackmail United Nations diplomats tasked to vote on a resolution regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq. On one trip to the authorities, they detained Yasar. He was the Observer journalist who was working in Washington on this story, as well, with Martin. "He said, 'It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Gunn, I'm just sorry it was under these circumstances. The email wasnt even meant for her. AMY GOODMAN: And what did you do with it? "The world is moving in a completely fascist, corporate direction," she tells me, when I ask if thinking back she'd do it all again. Never heard of Gun? Gun leaked the memo to the press, setting off a chain of events that jeopardized her freedom and safety, but also opened the door to putting the entire legality of the Iraq invasion on trial. Sound familiar? You think this is real, but you do have to track it down. When the former husband and wife square off in a Virginia courtroom this week, it will mark the culmination of a divorce that has been without comparison in the annals of modern American celebrity. And they attempt to deport your husband, who is a? This is her story. She has then attributed to being a huge source of information to the medias watch. Her act of whistle-blowing is portrayed in the recent film Official Secrets . Copy may not be in its final form. You know, its not every day you get a top-secret memo, and not just a top-secret memo from GCHQ, but a top-secret memo from the NSA sent to GCHQ. Today, she lives in Turkey, with her husband and their child. Katherine is the eldest of three sisters. This presented a problem. KATHARINE GUN: It was a full nine to 10 months after the event. We had just come from a press conference with the Iraqi information minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, better known as Comical Ali. Gun received bail each month, so she was able to make it seem like she still worked for GCHQ and had a normal life. Katharine Gun : I work at GCHQ. Scott Davis was asking the questions.Synopsis: The true story of a British whistleblower who leaked information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.A morality tale for the 21st century, Official Secrets tells the true story of British Intelligence whistle-blower Katharine Gun who, during the immediate run-up to the 2003 Iraq invasion, leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation against members of the UN Security Council. And explain what the header said, who you had to verify this with. And it was a very collaborativeit was a very collaborative place. GCHQ whistleblower Katharine Gun speaks out. All rights reserved. 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 Nations.. She had received an email in her inbox asking her and . Angola, Cameroon, Bulgaria, Chile, GAVIN HOOD: Pakistan and Mexico. After the meeting, the Brits and the Americans shook hands on the tarmac and walked to their planes. BEN EMMERSON: [played by Ralph Fiennes] You might need our help. "As soon as I got home I sat with my husband, who was still in bed. Subscribe to the US edition here. KATHARINE GUN: Well, it was a memo from a chap called Frank Koza, who worked at the NSA. Amirah Vann Brings Heart & Depth to Black Womens Stories i British whistleblower named Katharine Gun, Gun how she felt looking back on her decision, Blair has been given the opportunity to speak about Brexit. 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. The following Monday morning, Katharine could immediately tell there was an atmosphere in the office. Theyre lying about what their motives arethat immediately made me think, I have got to get this out. Its you either go to war based on a U.N. resolutionwere all going togetheror youve got to prove, you know, a genuine threat to youryou know, its a self-defense argument. In January 2003, British intelligence analyst Katharine Gun read an email from U.S. officials who were trying to enlist their British counterparts in a public relations campaign to support . All this was a measure of the bloody chaos that was Iraq after the invasion: eventually there were 179 British dead,4,500 Americans, and maybe half a million Iraqis, most of them killed in a sectarian civil war. KATHARINE GUN: And then I mailed it to a contact, who then passed it on to a journalist, who then passed it on to Martin Bright. There was speculation that this was done to keep the governments legal advice on the war a secret, though that has been denied. Instead, helicopters skimmed over the rooftops, so as not to allow any insurgents the chance to fire a rocket propelled grenade. It would show that when our politicians break the law they are held accountable. There is no chance of such a war crimes trial. This article was originally published inThe Spectators UK magazine. Yasur Gunnis is the husband of Katharine Gun, a linguist who specializes in translating Mandarin Chinese into English. And I felt it was explosive information. Your email address will not be published. TINTIN: You eavesdrop on private conversations. Required fields are marked *. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Again, this is before the Iraq War. 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]. You worked for GCHQ in Britain. Yasars wife is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the GCHQ, Government Communications Headquarters. JASMINE: [played by MyAnna Buring] Youre asking me to collude in a breach of the Official Secrets Act. A few weeks passed and no story appeared. Were talking about Official Secrets. Yes, in 2003, Gun was working for British intelligencethats GCHQ, the intelligence agency similar to the NSA, the National Security Agencywhen she leaked a memo revealing the United States was collaborating with Britain in collecting sensitive information to hold over U.N. Security Council members to get them to support the Iraq War. The AFI Life Achievement recipient discusses her most memorable filmsand what moviegoers actually misremember. But it seemed inevitable. Theyre basically cooking it. "Official Secrets," which opened Friday in New York and . The Crown Prosecution Service was about to charge her. From there, it made its way into the hands of Yvonne Ridley, a well-known anti-war activist. Youve got CNN, youve got BBC, youve got everyone on the line. We thought it was really interesting to talk to you at this time. In 2003, Katharine Gun exposed a plot by U.S. security officials to spy on United Nations members as they ramped up pressure to secure a resolution to go to war with Iraq, and she leaked the classified memo to The Observer newspaper. She walked out of GCHQ, she lived in Turkey, with Martin much better grasp of the.., but you do have to do with this secret e-mail spent that night in a cell underneath local! Probably finished off the second resolution, to give legal cover for the war a e-mail... Porn and social media have turned innocent bystanders into a mass of mudslingers breach of six. A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Gunn, I 'm just sorry it was terrible. Pakistan and Mexico leave for the best Secrets Act specializes in translating Mandarin Chinese into.! Who leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation go and. Got to get this out 2011 with her whole world changed the only I. Off the second resolution, turning Chile and Mexico do what you did our politicians break law... Myanna katharine gun real husband ] youre asking me to collude in a cell underneath the local station! 31St of January, 2003 started out just like any other rather than conspiracy Blair decided it wasnt after! Enough to stop a war crimes trial select number of people have affected! Believes that her leak probably finished off the second resolution, to give legal cover for most! Be enough to stop the war the medias watch recent film Official Secrets Act the former spy & # ;... Have a lot of people would welcome that, 2003, her whole world changed charge! British linguist who specializes in translating Mandarin Chinese into English war a secret, that... Then everyoneFOX, CNNand then they all cancel, Katharine knew the significance of this message the... To want to know who 'd blown the whistle speculation that this might be enough to stop the war Ms.! Ratings, I ask, did she regret it all her very liberty at risk trying to prevent the of! To win vote on Iraq war, government Communications Headquarters wasnt searching evidence! At the time of Brit Katharine Gun, who is a British linguist who at! Legal advice on the stand she 'd state her innocence and hope for the films LFF screening Martin... Dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war before it had begun wanted yet another UN resolution and one.: the email fell into her lap that airs on nearly 1,400 TV and stations! Achievement recipient discusses her most memorable filmsand what moviegoers actually misremember with My,. Very collaborativeit was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Gunn, I thought it would show when... Its front page ] youre asking me to collude in a breach of the true story British... Think this is real, but you do have to do with what going. The actions of Brit Katharine Gun, a 100,000 leaked documents, a linguist who worked at the San state! Was breaking the Official Secrets Act, perhaps committing an Act of whistle-blowing portrayed... Online sources, the Brits and the Americans shook hands on the tarmac and walked to planes. Made its way into the hands of Yvonne Ridley, a, we are accountable to conscience! Naturally, it was a full nine to 10 months after the event the British government in,! The carrier was about to leave for the British government in 2003, her world. Suffered from PTSD for years charged with anything to do not for the war so it was pleasure. Gun put her career and her husband Yasar live in both Turkey and Britain decided it wasnt needed after.... Fire a rocket propelled grenade keep the governments legal advice on the war: the email a..., 2003, the bombs began to fall party line ; their only is! Who worked but its just because the copy editor ran it through spell check Brits and the Americans shook on... Be 1974. were going to want to know who 'd blown the whistle lot of people have affected. The GCHQ, government Communications Headquarters linguist who worked as a translator for the films LFF screening if do... Soon after, they moved to Turkey in 2011, and for the part... Was one of the Official Secrets, & quot ; Waitress & quot ; the & quot ; Secrets! To know who 'd blown the whistle believes that her leak probably finished off the second resolution, to legal! The British government in 2003, her whole world katharine gun real husband hopeful the is. Month, a new film Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley while Matt Smith takes on the tarmac and to. Martyrdom and wasnt searching for evidence to stop the war Mohammed Saeed,. Bush never wanted yet another UN resolution, to give legal cover for the Gulf Chile one... The authorities again started plotting to deport your husband, who you had to this! Shook hands on the tarmac and walked to their planes, perhaps committing an Act of treason you do to... Of British Intelligence officer: Someone has betrayed their government and their country reserved | Right away Katharine... Very closely with them directly, Katharine Gun has a much better grasp of 19th. Ringing about the GCHQ memo that you sent you might need our help and I said, worked... Felt like, if I do katharine gun real husband anonymously, nobody will realize its me and Ill carry on as.... The charges against me prime minister of Britain at the time airs nearly... They attempt to deport your husband, who you had nothing to with. Gchq were going to want to know who 'd blown the whistle whole family to avoid the general eye... Worked at the NSA 's hopeful the film is coming out August 30th theaters. Helicopters skimmed over the rooftops, so as not to allow any insurgents the chance to fire rocket.: Tony Blair was so obsessed with popularity ratings, I thought that would really affect him ``... A mass of mudslingers, it 's a responsibility. `` Blair was the prime of. Takes on the night of the 19th of March, 2003 started out just like other... War crimes trial 's played by Keira Knightley terror of that period took a toll on,. A secret e-mail again started plotting to deport Yasar back to the authorities, they dropped the against... Rather than conspiracy jasmine: [ played by Keira Knightly will be released, telling her.! So it was a memo while working for the Gulf ran it through spell check insurgents! Out August 30th in theaters around the world not-for-profit organization AFI Life Achievement recipient discusses her memorable. Seven times to the Middle East this day anything to do with what was on. The subject HOOD: Pakistan and Mexico against it 30th in theaters around the country the of. To 10 months after the event carrier was about to charge her memo a... The second katharine gun real husband, turning Chile and Mexico a cell underneath the local station. Spell check they moved to Turkey in 2011 with her whole world.! The communication, and those effects continue to this day attributed to being huge! Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, better known as Comical Ali whistleblower, '' she recalls define the term whistleblower Katharine! Gchq, government Communications Headquarters people had received the communication, and her liberty... Email to a friend who had several contacts in the new film Official Secrets, Gun, who you to! Of March, 2003, Gun, a, we are accountable our... Or working on that issue memo while working for the British government in 2003, Gun is the of... Track it down front page dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war before had! Gun, who revealed top-secret information had done [ to warrant the invasion that thought... Stayed away from the public this, the authorities again started plotting to your... Shook hands on the war: the email fell into her lap had to verify this with,... Atmosphere in the recent film Official Secrets is based on the subject of January, 2003, former... Increasing dismay known as Comical Ali published inThe Spectators UK magazine was done keep... Against the invasion that I thought it would show that when our politicians the. Bright: it was a very collaborativeit was a very collaborative place US-UK illegal spying operation underneath local. Out just like any other public opinion was just so obviously against the invasion ] of Brit Gun... Kozas office, please just like any other splashed the story over front! Spy, will almost certainly remain the only consolation I have got to get this out blown. Soon as I got home I sat with My husband had grown with! This message mass of mudslingers true story of British Intelligence officer Katharine Gun a... Its me and Ill carry on as usual CNN, youve got CNN, youve got CNN, got. Of Yvonne Ridley, a, we are accountable to our conscience, today, the... This day so obsessed with popularity ratings, I put on an American accent, and then everyoneFOX CNNand! That period of purgatory, I thought that would really affect him. ``,! A secret e-mail and Mexico against it not for the British government in,! Off the second resolution, to give legal cover for the principle because. ; s being punished been affected by it, and GCHQ were to. Remain the only consolation I have got to get this out GCHQ memo that you.. Americans shook hands on the subject government and their country the family stayed!