British spy on United Nations Sec. General...

[obd]

Hmm, reports are circulating that the British government has placed wiretapes at the UN and specifically at Sec. General Koffi Annans offices.....not good. I hope this doesnt do too much damage to its credibility but I got to say that it is rather embarrassing and damaging. Oh well, Argyll and others: Im not even going to give you crap as Im sure France and Germany are going to shovel it down your throats and I know what thats like. Im sure the French, German, Finnish etc members are going to have loads of fun at your expense with this one so all I can say is: Go out, play a game of soccer (football) and when you pass gas make sure your standing with your back to the east for me.


Here is the link.........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3491534.stm

[Kilgor]

. Im sure the French, German, Finnish etc members are going to have loads of fun at your expense with this one so all I can say is:

Dont stress.... France did exactly the same thing, but worse.
Documents unearthed in the wreckage of the foreign ministry in Baghdad are the first Iraqi files to emerge documenting French help for the dictatorship, the Sunday Times reported. Paris shared with Baghdad the contents of private trans-Atlantic meetings and diplomatic traffic from Washington, the documents reveal.

Everyone does it....!
the difference is only some get caught.

[Flagg]

Ummmm obd,

I hate to break the bad news to you but that's exactly what intelligence agencies do.....spy on influential leaders around the globe without their knowledge.

The only thing wrong about the whole situation is having gotten "caught" by an MP with a big F'n mouth.

If the French and Germans have any feelings about this issue is either stress that they'll get caught out next, or jealousy that they've been unable to crack Kofi's encryption themselves.

Now the Poms have to act temporarily embarrassed......and immediately start work on cracking Kofi's new Batphone. p-)

[Sixgun Symphony]

The only thing wrong about the whole situation is having gotten "caught" by an MP with a big F'n mouth.


I am wondering why Tony Blair didn't press charges on that PM.

[Argyll]

do you get charged for telling the truth?
I'm not bothered in the slightest about these revalations,I'm surprised that they managed to get a bug in there,the space would have been limited,what with all these little "gizmo's" labelled "Made in Langley",made in France,Made in Russia,Made in Germany,Made in China,Made in Israel ;) ............welcome to the world of espionage and corporate espionage,this happens every where......nothing new. ;)

[obd]

hehe Argyl let me be clear and frank. The US has wire taps in every high level government office of most major nations on this planet....basically outside the public sphere its considered common knowldege that "friendly" nations always like to have the heads up on what the other is doing and very few nations are "too small" not to be evesdropping on at some level. Nevertheless it is par for the course that when a wire tap is exposed, the nation who gets caught with its hand in the cookie jar is suppossed to at least act embarrassed. Your not really playing fairly Argyll. I was hoping you would say "yeah mates we got busted by one of our own and obd, Im embarrassed. Can I buy you a coffee and some fish and chips or at least mail you the money so you can do it yourself (in dollars please)". Instead you go off about "not being bothered in the slightest". I expected more from you man..............

On a serious note though, have the wiretaps actually been found now that they were exposed. I would imagine the British intelligence service that planted them would be professionally interested to know how quickly they could be found ounce known about. After all, I dont think she exposed where exactyl the taps were and what kind of taps were put up correct??

Also I have a question for you Argyl: What is going to happen to this govnt official who exposed these taps and what exactly do you think were her motivations, at least besides the obvious?? Does she have a history which would suggest certain motives of sorts?? I know absolutely jack **** about her so if you could fill me in, thanx in advance....

[Argyll]

She has motives,apart from being beaten with an ugly stick,she also hates Tony Blair!
The worst that can happen to her is get thrown out the labour party but that will play right into her hands,my guess,she'll get a slapped wrist nothing more,after all Good old Tony did not deny it ;)

[CX20]

OBD, the woman in question is Clare Short, an ex-Labour Cabinet Minister who resigned in protest over the Iraq War. She is a "firebrand" MP and very critical on just about all aspects of anything relating to Tony Blair :D

Nothing can really happen to her, as she is no longer in government. If they do consider charging her, it could be considerably embarrassing and would probably be dropped. Just as what has just happened to GCHQ worker Katherine Gun.

[CX20]

Biography, when she was still in the Cabinet

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/AboutDFID/files/clare_short_biog.htm

Her resignation statement

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3022139.stm

[obd]

Hmm thanx CX20 and Argyll. Intersting stuff. Always good to get information on something I know jack **** about in general: British politics. By the way, and this is not meant to be offensive at all, here in America your debates in Parliament are quite popular television fodder. The give and take and reposte are often quite witty and entertaining. Sometimes its a bit hard to understand the slang words and I cant say I understand enough to support or reject what they are saying about local issues but its great fun anyways. I wish American government was so enjoyable and dynamic. Its funny how Im not even British (well my mother is British but...) and it still raises the hairs on my neck to hear the parliament up in arms on an issue. "HEER HEER" and all manner of cheers and Boo's. What brilliant TV!!!! Cant say the same about style of government but what can I say, I'm an American after all.............

[wulfstan]

Cut to; Blair's office.

Blair is reading the news about Clare Short's allegations. He picks up the phone, dials a number and waits;

Blair;
It's the PM here. Regarding Short... Kill her.

Puts phone down and rubs hands together while looking smug.

[Argyll]

Cut to; Blair's office.

Blair is reading the news about Clare Short's allegations. He picks up the phone, dials a number and waits;

Blair;
It's the PM here. Regarding Short... Kill her.

Clare Shorts then phones the PM and says thanks for the warning!!

Puts phone down and rubs hands together while looking smug.

And he suddenly realises what's good for the goose is good for the Gander!! rofl

[obd]

Wow I just noticed you had the "moderator" in your avatar Argyll. Good job. Im still ranked one star but in 50 years I think I got a shot at another if Im still alive!!!

[citizen-k]

do you get charged for telling the truth?
I'm not bothered in the slightest about these revalations,I'm surprised that they managed to get a bug in there,the space would have been limited,what with all these little "gizmo's" labelled "Made in Langley",made in France,Made in Russia,Made in Germany,Made in China,Made in Israel ;) ............welcome to the world of espionage and corporate espionage,this happens every where......nothing new. ;)

gizmo's?

espionage?

Israel?

What the hell are you talking about? :D

[Flagg]

"The United Nations is a caldron of espionage activity."

Former senior CIA official



"This is the reality. It's nothing new."

Boutros Boutros Ghali, former U.N. secretary-general



"In my opinion everybody spies on everybody."

Inocencio F. Arias, Spain's ambassador to the United Nations



"It used to be a shame; now it's a matter of status. If your mission is not bugged, then you are really worth nothing."

An ambassador of a Security Council member nation



"What I would say is I would not be surprised if in New York there is a great deal of listening all over the place from one country to another."

Sir Crispin Tickell, former British ambassador to the UN



"I take it as something that could take place. I think it is illegal, but this shows that the British intelligence service at least technically are very professional."

Sergey Lavrov, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations



"Of course I was bugged. I was well aware of it."

Richard Butler, former UN chief weapons inspector



"I can't see really what all the fuss is about. It's the sort of thing intelligence agencies do."

Former Australian ONA analyst, Carl Ungerer



"What they're doing is what every nation in the world has always done: gathering as much information as possible. Anyone who suggests this is shocking is being foolish.....Every time something is leaked, it alerts the targets to tighten up their communications security. That makes NSA's job a lot more difficult."

Mike Levin, retired NSA employee from 1947 to 1993

Found this on http://www.cicentre.com a great website on intel/counterintel issues.

[martinexsquaddie]

this is just in apprantly the red hot transcripts may have come off the UN's WEBSITE rofl
ms short is so dumb can't tell the diffrence between a briefing paper culled from publicly avaialbe data and red hot secret intell :fork:

[marktigger]

David Blunket made a statement that he hadn't seen any transcripts of intercepts from the UN ;)

[DPGLAW]

I think it is a good thing that Britan is spying on Annan, hopefully the US is helping them. With the way that Mr. Annan bowed to the French and Germans without even considering that the US was right, as far as Iraq goes I think it is necessary for us to spy on them to avoidfurther efforts by the UN to "sabotage" our ( US & UK) plans, like they did with Iraq