I gather intelligence so that the government can protect the British people. And then, in November, came the call from her lawyer. I mean, what are you doing here? 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 acclaimed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. Gun sits down with Christiane to share her story. Their legal battles exposed the highest levels of government in both London and Washington #OfficialSecrets #KeiraKnightley #MattSmith---------------------For syndication or usage opportunities please contact syndication@heyuguys.co.uk.---------------------More from HeyUGuys:Website http://HeyUGuys.comFollow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/HeyUGuysSubscribe here! Angola, Cameroon, Bulgaria, Chile, GAVIN HOOD: Pakistan and Mexico. That contact had connections with the antiwar movement. Katharine Gun (ne Harwood), 47, is married to Yasar Gn, a Turkish Kurd, with whom she has a 13-year old daughter. And it was a very collaborativeit was a very collaborative place. A translator for UK intelligence agency GCHQ, Gun read a brief from the US National Security Agency urging its British sister organisation to spy on members of the UN Security Council, to gain influence i n a vote on whether to sanction an invasion of Iraq. And I knew that Ed was an extremely experienced journalist. France and Russia were against a second resolution and they had a veto in the Security Council. But were going to go to a break, and then were going to come back to this discussion. AMY GOODMAN: You said, May I please speak to Mr. Koza?, MARTIN BRIGHT: May I please speak to Mr. Koza? And they said, We dont give out names. And he says, Excuse me, Mr. Bright.. Her act of whistle-blowing is portrayed in the recent film Official Secrets . Gun, youre a spy. Record Coal Prices Help Break Strike. She believes that her leak probably finished off the second resolution, turning Chile and Mexico against it. But within days, Bush declared he no longer needed UN backing and invaded anyway. We need another Katharine Gun. She couldnt shake the indelible images of the turkey shoot of retreating Iraqis on the Highway of Death during the first Gulf War in 1991, the road out of Kuwait strewn with burnt-out vehicles and charred bodies. And then, finally, it came to me. Katharine Gun in the Liberty office, 2019. Was it? 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 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). Mr. Koza? Yeah, whos that? I think that speaks rather highly of you. At the time, the paper, their paper, The Observer, was openly supporting the Iraq invasion, leading up to it. Now her story has been adapted into the film Official Secrets starring Keira Knightley. Back in 30 seconds. Our Daily Digest brings Democracy Now! Bush had agreed to this to help Blair. Katharine was charged with an offense under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1989 on 13 November 2003. During that period of purgatory, I ask, did she regret it all? But you see this memo that went out to everyone in your area. 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. When she was acquitted in 2004, it was difficult for her to find a new job that she liked. And, guys, you do not want to miss this story and what would then take place. I do not gather intelligence so that the government can lie to the British people.A colleague whispers to her: Intelligence may be being manipulated to take this country to war. These scenes are set before the invasion, before the shattering truth emerged that Saddam did not have weapons of mass destruction and the war had been based on a lie, or more delicately a false prospectus. Whistleblower Katharine Gun and journalist Martin Bright are interviewed for their new movie Official Secrets for the film's LFF screening. And you said you say that, you know, I didnt join in order to fix a vote in the U.N. to convince the world to go to a war to go to war. It was intended for someone else but had been distributed to everyone in her section. The film is coming out August 30th in theaters around the country. This is a clip. Release date September 13, 2019 As a young translator at GCHQ, she leaked a secret email. 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. In Official Secrets, Gun is played by Keira Knightley while Matt Smith takes on the role of Martin Bright. ED VULLIAMY: Well, oh, indeed, brilliantly played his subject. A year after she walked down the aisle, Ross gave birth to their only child, Cleo Rose, on September 17, 1984, in Malibu, California. A few weeks passed and no story appeared. Maybe reporters decided it was a fake, Katharine thought; maybe she'd just entirely misjudged its significance. A union rep got in touch to offer support, and once news broke that an unnamed woman had been arrested for the leak the story caught the attention of the organisation whose offices we're sitting in. This month, a new film Official Secrets, in which she's played by Keira Knightly will be released, telling her story. But its just because the copy editor ran it through spell check. A month later, the Observer splashed the story over its front page. It has been suggested that the government was desperate to ensure that documents containing advice about the legality of the war which the defence had requested would not be made public. Yasars wife is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the GCHQ, Government Communications Headquarters. The Drudge Report, famous right-wing website, had followed the story up. Gun, the consciencestricken spy, will almost certainly remain the only British official charged with anything to do with the war in Iraq. 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. But, Katharine, how old were you in 2003? Because I have processed it now, and Im probably a lot more clear in my thinking, explained Gun, who met with Knightley before filming. I had found a source called Mel Goodman, namesake of yours, who was the ex-head of the Soviet desk at the CIA, had kept his clearance. To this day, she has no idea how convincing she was during her interrogation but really, it doesn't matter: on the Wednesday, she marched right up to her manager. And also, the memo itself contained language that was consistent with intelligence service language, so we had experts look at that, as well. TINTIN: And now youre upset at being asked to do that to members of the Security Council. today: https://democracynow.org/donateFOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! "Even thinking about it all would cause me anxiety," she says, "but now I am ready." LONDON FEBRUARY 25: Former employee of Britains 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. So, we had a terrible moment where we had seen organizations follow the story up. And what did you think? If people knew about this, nobody would support this invasion.. But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. And what we are seeing is a movement of people who are trying to stop it. "I got into the office, turned on my computer and looked through my emails," says Katharine, more than 16 years later. AMY GOODMAN: I know. The highly confidential memo revealed the United States was collaborating with Britain in collecting sensitive information on United Nations Security Council members in order to pressure them into supporting the Iraq invasion. Her late husband, Tom, a former special agent of the FBI and one-time head of . AMY GOODMAN: Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill. Now, I asked around. People hid under the tables. In February 2003, Britain and the US began pushing for a new resolution that would give Saddam a month to disarm or face war. 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. But the difficulty was that it was just words typed on a piece of paper. GAVIN HOOD: We have to protect the innocent and source, yeah. AMY GOODMAN: So you had nothing to do with what was going on, covering stuff in Iraq or working on that issue. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Official Secrets is released in cinemas on the 18th of October, 2019. MARTIN BRIGHT: Yes. The whole issue of Iraq has left us with a legacy, which is not good. People are traumatizedmilitary personnel are coming back extremely traumatized. KATHARINE GUN: Governments change. Her life had been turned upside down, and for what? They were going use information gathered from the intelligence to either bribe or blackmail them into voting for this war. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Katharine Gun in the Liberty office, 2019. Democracy Now! It is vital to speak up in a democracy. Let us learn more about the duo and where they are currently. This is Katharines story were talking about, but there is a back story in the film, which plays its part, which is mine, and Ill be quick on this. I had no idea what was going to happen to me and my life kind of came to a standstillit was a struggle emotionally, financially, mentally, said Gun of that time. At the end of the day, we are accountable to our conscience. Sound familiar? "And there in my inbox was was this email from [the US] National Security Agency, which in and of itself was quite out of the ordinary.". He was forced to resign, because it showed that he called President Trump inept, and he said, you know, the singular reason that the Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal was because it was signed by President Obama, and other issues. 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. It seemed inevitable. 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. AMY GOODMAN: As the British government says its identified the person who leaked cables that forced out the British ambassador to the United States for calling President Trump inept, we look at the real-life political thriller of a British intelligence specialist who risked everything to blow the whistle on U.S. dirty tricks at the United Nations in the lead-up to the Iraq invasion. Yasur is a Turkish Kurd who is married to 47-year-old Katharine. 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. The Man Who Deleted His Past Before He Was Found Dead. Well, now Katharine Guns story is being told in the new film Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley. Gun did not seek martyrdom and wasnt searching for evidence to stop the war: the email fell into her lap. You know, look at me. It would show that there isnt a double standard. AMY GOODMAN: So, you call Ed, and you say, Can you track down this guy? Among many other things. That meant winning over temporary members of the Council, countries such as Angola, Bulgaria, Chile and Mexico. [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 . And it was a terrible moment when I had to look in my drawer and find it. The film is directed by Gavin Hood, and Gun is portrayed . (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. KATHARINE GUN: I was arrested. AMANPOUR: OK. You actually, at that point, had never met Katharine Gun. The memo proposed blackmailing smaller, undecided member states into voting for war. However, the two really got to know each other on the set of a horror movie called "The Legacy" in 1978. Drawing on more than 100,000 leaked documents, a. AMY GOODMAN: The guy at the NSA. A New Film Tells Her Story, Part 2: 15 Years Later: How U.K. Whistleblower Katharine Gun Risked Everything to Leak a Damning Iraq War Memo, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License, Senate Holds Equal Rights Amendment Hearing as U.S. Court Denies Attempt to Include in Constitution, Bola Tinubu of Ruling Party Wins Nigeria Election Amid Low Turnout, Rigging Charges, Hundreds of Iranian Schoolgirls Suffered Toxic Poisonings in Last Four Months, Biden Names Labor Advocate Julie Su to Lead Labor Dept. Movement of people who are trying to stop the war: the fell! The Drudge Report, famous right-wing website, had followed the story up intended for someone else had! 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