"I'd have a criminal record for doing what was right." Democracy Now! 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. You didnt. We need another Katharine Gun. . In the film, Knightley as Gun declares: I work for the British people. September 12, 2019 | 12:17 pm. The British governments own lawyers were afraid that without specific UN authorization, the war might be illegal; British soldiers could even be prosecuted for war crimes. Some call that treason. Katharine spent that night in a cell underneath the local police station. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. And . In 2003, she leaked top-secret information to The Observer, concerning a request by the United States for compromising intelligence on diplomats from member states of the 2003 Security Council.The diplomats were due to vote on a second United . So, naturally, it's Katharine Gun who's being punished. She was angered by how nonchalant the email was in asking GCHQ to carry out an illegal operation but she didnt know what to do. Former British intelligence officer Katharine Gun didnt set out to become a whistle-blower. AMY GOODMAN: And what did you do with it? TINTIN: [played by Peter Guinness] Katharine Gun? Katharine Gun speaks out for 'Official Secrets'. Your viewers will recall them; I hope not, for their sake, but some of them will. Robbie Robertson Reflects on His Legendary Rock Career, Iraq War Whistle Blower Katharine Gun Shares Her Story, Jack Goldsmith Discusses the Limits of Executive Power, + Major support for Amanpour and Company is provided by the Anderson Family Charitable Fund, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim, III, Candace King Weir, Jim Attwood and Leslie Williams, Mark J. Blechner, Seton J. Melvin, Bernard and Denise Schwartz, Koo and Patricia Yuen, the Leila and Mickey Straus Family Charitable Trust, Barbara Hope Zuckerberg, Jeffrey Katz and Beth Rogers, the Filomen M. DAgostino Foundation and. 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. It was only September 2002 but the carrier was about to leave for the Gulf. Im Amy Goodman. Two weeks later, on the 15th of February, 2003, a million people took to the streets of London to protest the prospect of Britain joining the war in Iraq. The Americans had sent GCHQ a request to spy on the UN ambassadors of the six countries with the important, perhaps swing, votes. And, guys, you do not want to miss this story and what would then take place. These Romantic Movies Are Guaranteed To Make You Cry, The Greatest Romantic Comedies That Youll Watch On Repeat, 26 Movies Every Woman Should See At Least Once. I filed that story seven times to The Observer. Katharine Gun was a translator at GCHQ, when she received an email in her inbox from Frank Koza, a leading figure in the American National Security Agency. Even before the invasion, she suspected that the US was cooking up intelligence about Iraqi WMD. Her name is Katharine Gun.Watch Part 1 of this discussion: https://youtu.be/u6n1VFDJ3CY#DemocracyNowDemocracy Now! Thought-provoking commentary and opinion on politics, books and the arts. After the incident, Katharine struggled to find work, and her husband had grown disillusioned with Britain and then . Tell us the moment. "Yeah, I suppose so," she says. In January 2003, 28-year-old GCHQ translator Katharine Gun received an email from the US National Security Agency that would turn her world upside down. On Tuesday, it was her turn to be questioned. AMY GOODMAN: Weve got to make this fast; we have three minutes. Youre sitting at the equivalent of the NSA. And whereas usually with a whistleblower, you would work very closely with them directly, Katharine didnt come to me. Could you put me through? Whos talking, sir? I cant say. In 2003, Katharine Gun, a young specialist working for Britains Government Communications Headquarters, exposed a highly confidential memo that revealed the United States collaboration with Britain in collecting sensitive information on United Nations Security Council members in order to pressure them into supporting the Iraq invasion. Mr. Koza? Yeah, whos that? You know, look at me. And its so relevant to be talking about this today, as the British government is talking about cracking down on the leaker of the memos of the British ambassador to the U.S. that forced him out. Courtroom porn and social media have turned innocent bystanders into a mass of mudslingers. We still dont know, to this day, why they did that. A few weeks passed and no story appeared. Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Loses Election; Candidates Backed by Police & Teacher Unions Head to Runoff, Death Toll from Migrant Shipwreck Reaches 67 While Italy Cracks Down on, Student Debt Relief in Jeopardy as Conservative Supreme Court Justices Question Bidens Plan, Longest Alabama Strike Ends as Warrior Met Coal Miners Return. Keira Knightley as Katharine Gun in 'Official Secrets.' Courtesy of IFC Films In the past, you've taken on roles in many period films but Official Secrets is set not that long ago, in 2003. today: https://democracynow.org/donateFOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! A month later, the Observer splashed the story over its front page. When Gun exposed that the U.S. and U.K. wanted information on United Nations diplomats to persuade the vote on the invasion of Iraq, George W. Bush was President of the United States and Tony Blair was the British Prime Minister of the U.K. Guns information affected Blairs politics and government at the time, but he has seemingly recovered from the incident. And I justyou know, I just collapsed. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Gun also received the Sam Adams Award, which is awarded to intelligence agents who take a stand for ethics and integrity. And yeah, it was just a request from the NSA tofor GCHQ to assist them in bugging the domestic and office communications of the six U.N. Security Council delegates. Gun was cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act after being fired for revealing a secret e-mail. This is her story. Gun sits down with Christiane to share her story. The legal case against Gun was eventually dropped by the British government in 2004, after her lawyer, Ben Emmerson QC (played in the film with fabulous charisma by Ralph Fiennes), threatened to use disclosure to put the legal basis of the war itself on trial. With no plan and no contacts, a duty solicitor who was well out of her depth was called. Just put me through. And, sure enough, Frank Koza. That was a good brain moment. In 2003, Katharine Gun was working for Britains Government Communications Headquarters, known as GCHQ, the intelligence agency similar to the National Security Agency here, when she opened a top-secret NSA memorandum. It wasn't the news Katharine had been preparing for. ED VULLIAMY: Well, oh, indeed, brilliantly played his subject. LONDON - FEBRUARY 25: Former employee of Britain's global surveillance center GCHQ (Government Communications Head Quarters) Katharine Gun smiles as she speaks to the media during a press conference February 25, 2004 in London, England. Otherwise we are living in dictatorships. AMY GOODMAN: And the idea was they would figure out which way they were going to vote, so that they could sway them. 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. But it seemed inevitable. AMY GOODMAN: So, that was Katharine Gun back in 2004. Members of the Security Council were outraged and any chance of a UN resolution in favour of war collapsed. Katharine Gun works for British Intelligence, but struggles with the lies governments are telling the public in the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This is Democracy Now! Ever since their story was documented in Marcia and Thomas Mitchell's 2008 book "The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War," Gun, the British whistleblower who attempted to prevent the Iraq War, and . Husband: Not Available: Sibling: Not Available: Children: Not Available: Katharine Gun Net Worth. 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. 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 . The daughter of Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani was overwhelmed as a child by a wave of tragedy and looked for a gasp of air to breathe, even as sharks circled all around. Now, she tells, Monica Lewinskys Verdict on the Johnny DeppAmber Heard Trial: We Are All Guilty. Almost a decade ago, the world was gripped with anxiety as it watched the legal proceedings against a young Se. Within half an hour, the prosecution had decided to drop its case, for reasons that to this day remain mysterious. Forty years later, JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson tell all about the horror classics secrets, tragedies, and controversies. [2] r 2003 lckte hon ut hemlig information till tidningen The Observer, angende en begran frn USA om att samla in knslig information om diplomater frn medlemslnder i FN:s . It's just, back then, she didn't realise quite what her employer could be capable of. AMY GOODMAN: Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill. Now, I asked around. "It worries me, it should worry us all. On 5 March Gun confessed to leaking the plot and was arrested for violating the Official Secrets Act. He had no regrets whatsoever about removing Saddam. I was in Baghdad at the time, watching live coverage of the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, arguing for a second resolution at the UN. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, you work for the British government? 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. AMY GOODMAN: So, youve got it proved. This is the trailer. In 2004, Democracy Now! 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. The plan was to persuade them simply to abstain by piling up enough votes from other countries. I suppose So, that was Katharine Gun Net Worth with it was of... 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