Right away, Katharine knew the significance of this message. KATHARINE GUN: Well, they dropped the charges against me. CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: But basically, you tried to blow the whistle on what you thought was a false intelligence directive to try to cook up a reason for the Iraq war. Eight months later, she was charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act. AMY GOODMAN: That was a clip from Official Secrets. "He said, 'It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Gunn, I'm just sorry it was under these circumstances. Any intelligence gathered would be used as leverage to coerce those nations into sanctioning a war in Iraq. A new film, Official Secrets, tells the story of her actions and subsequent arrest. Bush had agreed to this to help Blair. 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. And he had told me over two meetings, A, we know that Saddam Hussein has no weapons of mass destruction. And so, we knew that time was short. Official Secrets is a movie about real-life whistleblower Katharine Gun, a relatively low-level British Intelligence agent (she was a translator in the Government Communications Headquarters) who . At the time, her actions received very little attention from journalists in the United Statesunless you were watching Democracy Now! Some of it was to do with complications over an unfortunate spell check within the memo. In February, Gun attended a demonstration in opposition to the Iraq War. Our Daily Digest brings Democracy Now! January of 2003. It would show that when our politicians break the law they are held accountable. There is no chance of such a war crimes trial. What I object to is being asked to gather intelligence to help fix a vote at the U.N. and deceive the world into going to war. When an American is asked to define the term whistleblower," they will probably reference Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning. In that time, Katharine was interviewed again, and then escorted to the canteen. But they not only are saying they are going to crack down hard on the leaker, but theyre also saying they will crack down on the press, any press that reports this in Britain. 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. "But there are things you have to do not for the result but for the principle, because they are right.". Whistleblower Katharine Gun and journalist Martin Bright are interviewed for their new movie Official Secrets for the films LFF screening. Gun, youre a spy. Her whistleblowing was not enough to change the path of history, of course, and her last-gasp act of courage was all but forgotten in the brutal "shock and awe" of war. But, Katharine, how old were you in 2003? How old were you at the time? Our writers hold no party line; their only allegiance is to clarity of thought, elegance of expression and independence of opinion. In 2004, Democracy Now! AMY GOODMAN: Wll, this is the key, absolutely astounding moment. Marcia Mitchell. It wasn't that she was naive. Yasur Gunnis is the husband of Katharine Gun, a linguist who specializes in translating Mandarin Chinese into English. When she was acquitted in 2004, it was difficult for her to find a new job that she liked. An insider with courage. Katharine Teresa Gun (ne Harwood; born 1974) is a British whistleblower who worked as a linguist at the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ; a British intelligence facility) from 2001 to 2003. And so it was decided: on the stand she'd state her innocence and hope for the best. Whistleblower Katharine Gun and journalist Martin Bright are interviewed for their new movie Official Secrets for the film's LFF screening. But nonetheless, you wanted to do that. 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. It would show that there isnt a double standard. KATHARINE GUN: Actually, time-wise, I was bailed for eight months. Were 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. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, you work for the British government? However, the two really got to know each other on the set of a horror movie called "The Legacy" in 1978. We do not accept funding from advertising, underwriting or government agencies. But, in 2003, when she came across an email suggesting that the United States and the U.K . 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. The email was a request to tamper with the debate of whether or not to invade Iraq. AMANPOUR: OK. Katharine Gun (Katharine Teresa Harwood) was born on 1974 in United Kingdom, is a Linguist. On Tuesday, it was her turn to be questioned. MARTIN BRIGHT: The paperthe editorial line was supporting the war, but obviously there were those of us within the paper who didnt. On 5 March Gun confessed to leaking the plot and was arrested for violating the Official Secrets Act. [1]Katharine Gun arbetade som versttare fr Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). After the incident, Katharine struggled to find work, and her husband had grown disillusioned with Britain and then kept away from the general public eye. Could you put me through? Whos talking, sir? I cant say. today: https://democracynow.org/donateFOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! Nowadays, everyone can invent their own news - and call out stories - on social media, and . Gun was cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act after being fired for revealing a secret e-mail. S, Welcome to Love Like This?, a romance column where we, Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Ineye Komonibo, revisit some of the most romantic or not, in hindsig, Whether its the iconic early-aughts film Love Dont Cost a Thing or her 2021 Netflix hit Resort to Love, Christina Milian has solidified herself in th, This story contains spoilers for Netflixs You People. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! It took two hours for the cops from special branch to reach GCHQ in Cheltenham. It was too dangerous to make the 20-minute drive from the airport to the British base in Basra. Theres a back story. AMY GOODMAN: And then everyoneFOX, CNNand then they all cancel. Katharine Gun explains how she exposed a plot by U.S. security officials to spy on United Nations members in 2003. You didnt. Katharine Gun has a much better grasp of the true spirit of democracy than Tony Blair. KATHARINE GUN: Well, I was just appalled. 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). She explained that when she was first arrested, her name wasnt released publicly for eight months. Plus a change The warI mean, our obligation is not whether we support or are against the war. AMY GOODMAN: But what did you see in your email? Gun, realizing how unfair it was to subject her colleagues to the consequences of her own actions, confessed and was arrested shortly thereafter. We should think about that and remember that., 2023 Cond Nast. 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. In November 2002, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1441, which called on Iraq to get rid of chemical and biological weapons and long-range missiles. I do not gather intelligence so the government can lie to the British people. 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. You tried to call. This Shouldnt Happen: Inside the Virus-Hunting Nonprofit at the Center of the Lab-Leak Controversy, Chasing scientific renown, grant dollars, and approval from Dr. Anthony Fauci, Peter Daszak transformed the environmental nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance into a government-funded sponsor of risky, cutting-edge virus research in both the U.S. and Wuhan, China. '", Things moved slowly from then. The whole issue of Iraq has left us with a legacy, which is not good. JUDGE HYAM: [played by Kenneth Cranham] Katharine Teresa Gun, youre charged with an offense of the Official Secrets Act. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. MARTIN BRIGHT: So, the header information included the name Frank Koza, who was the NSAs head of regional targets at the time. Soon, Katharine was in touch with John Wadham, then Director of Liberty. AMY GOODMAN: So, bugging these six countries. AMY GOODMAN: Tony Blair was the prime minister of Britain at the time. Two days later, she gave the email to a friend who had several contacts in the press. At the time, the paper, their paper, The Observer, was openly supporting the Iraq invasion, leading up to it. The Man Who Deleted His Past Before He Was Found Dead. 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. With no plan and no contacts, a duty solicitor who was well out of her depth was called. And . . Gun had, of course, been forced to abandon her career in the civil service and finally, struggling for work, left Britain altogether. Her act of whistle-blowing is portrayed in the recent film Official Secrets . Yasar's wife is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the GCHQ, Government Communications Headquarters. Discover Katharine Gun's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. I could tell this email was pretty explosive.". Members of the Security Council were outraged and any chance of a UN resolution in favour of war collapsed. As noted in online sources, the former spy's birth year is recorded to be 1974. Gun also received the Sam Adams Award, which is awarded to intelligence agents who take a stand for ethics and integrity. Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts . You've never seen war, you've never smelled it! But there were a group of journalists within the newsroom who trusted each other, had worked together previously. 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. Theyre cooking this up. 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 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. 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. Gavin, who worked on the screenplay and is the director. I went with Blair on his last visit to Iraq as prime minister, in 2007. "Even thinking about it all would cause me anxiety," she says, "but now I am ready." Sixteen years on, the words are still seared into memory. Sam Eliott and Katharine Ross . No, you just do not do stuff like that. TINTIN: So, you work for the British government. We had at least a name. He said there were no WMD left, just a few old mustard gas shells already given to the UN weapons inspectors. AMY GOODMAN: Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill. The western leading man, Sam Elliott, first met his famous actress wife, Katharine Ross, on the set of a movie. And tell the final results of what happened. Following the incident, Gun struggled to find work that she loved, and her husband had grown disillusioned with Britain. Where Are Katharine Gun and Husband Now? Katharine Gun in the Liberty office, 2019. 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. . AMY GOODMAN: I know. 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 immediately decided the public should know the lengths the Americans were going to in order to secure legitimacy for this war. ED VULLIAMY: Well, I put on an American accent, and I said, Can I have Mr. Kozas office, please? Subscribe to the US edition here. 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. "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.". By Gabrielle Bruney . Gun received bail each month, so she was able to make it seem like she still worked for GCHQ and had a normal life. But were going to go to a break, and then were going to come back to this discussion. We're sitting together in a quiet room at the headquarters of human rights organisation Liberty, just around the corner from the streets through which she'd been marching. '", Meanwhile, the war in Iraq had already started. ANDY DUMFRIES: [played by Jack Farthing] The Americans want us to help them get a U.N. resolution for war. Here is a clip of you being interrogated by the police detective. Raising the issue with a manager briefly crossed Katharine's mind, but time was limited the threat of war was escalating fast and ultimately this operation had already been signed off by British top brass. Several weeks later she was surprised to see the email she had printed out on the front page of a newspaper. In bugging, in spying on, in eavesdropping, wiretapping, whatever? I was like, Mmm. Gun sits down with Christiane to share her story. France and Russia were against a second resolution and they had a veto in the Security Council. And so, I was going crazy. Its 15 years later. Katharine McPhee was initially hesitant about dating David Foster . The movie tells the story of Katharine Gun (played by Keira Knightley), a translator with the U.K.'s GCHQ who, in 2003, leaked top secret documents to journalist Martin Bright (Matt Smith) that . She says this breach was a foolish one-off. AMY GOODMAN: So, you call Ed, and you say, Can you track down this guy? Among many other things. 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. Between the worlds greatest democracy and a murderous dictatorship, it seemed easy to know whom to believe. AMANPOUR: And that spoke was this memo that had , AMANPOUR: been leaked to you and then you leaked it to the press, not leaked but delivered to you . Thats the critical point. MARTIN BRIGHT: Yeah, so, initially, we were quite nervous. I work for the British people. Acclaimed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg described Guns action as the most important and courageous leak I have ever seen. Guns incredible story is depicted in the new film Official Secrets, which premieres in the U.S. August 30. But when she arrived for her trial at the Old Bailey, the prosecution dropped the case with no explanation. The former British intelligence officer leaked a document to the press that announced an illegal NSA spy operation created to convince the UN Security Council to approve the 2003 invasion of Iraq. KNIGHTLEY: Governments change. She had a leading role in the 1969 film, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and Elliott had a small, untitled role. 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. TINTIN: You gather information from peoples phones and computers, and you feed that to your clients. Hilary Duff and husband Matthew Koma enjoy adorable family day out with their . We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. It was directed by Gavin Hood and the cast comprises Matt Smith, Indira Varma, Rhys Ifans, MyAnna Buring, Jack Farthing, Jeremy Northam, Tamsin Grieg and Conleth Hill. Katharine Teresa Gun (ne Harwood) (born 1974) is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Democracy Now! Gun, the consciencestricken spy, will almost certainly remain the only British official charged with anything to do with the war in Iraq. There were a million people in the streets, the Parliamentary Labour party was in revolt, cabinet ministers were resigning; there might be regime change in Britain before it happened in Iraq. Enter Katharine Gun. After the incident, Katharine struggled to find work, and her husband had grown disillusioned with Britain and then . This was thought crucial to help Blair and his government survive a no-confidence motion in the House of Commons. This is a clip. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. But it seemed inevitable. Our obligation is to the truth. MARTIN BRIGHT: It was NSA 'dirty tricks' at the U.N. Yeah, yeah. But I watched Blair with his smug smile and his sterile speeches that tell us nothing . But you see this memo that went out to everyone in your area. And it was a very collaborativeit was a very collaborative place. She has then attributed to being a huge source of information to the medias watch. Youre sitting at the equivalent of the NSA. Jack Goldsmith, former head of the Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush, discusses the limits of executive power with Christiane Amanpour. There's a real potency to Gun's tale of truth-telling in our world of social media and fake news. These worries crystalized when GCHQ sent her to San Diego for a conference and she was invited on to an American aircraft carrier. Was it? . 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. Says He Will Sign Bill Criminalizing Drag as Old Photo of Him in Drag Circulates, Lori Lightfoot Loses Reelection for Chicago Mayor; Paul Vallas & Brandon Johnson Advance to Runoff, El Salvadors Pres. TINTIN: [played by Peter Guinness] Katharine Gun? I filed that story seven times to The Observer. MARTIN BRIGHT: It was cock-up rather than conspiracy. Ad Choices, In any walk of life, you can choose to do the right thing, whistle-blower Katharine Gun, whom Knightley plays in the film, told, Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Fragile Snowflake Donald Trump for Allegedly Trying to Censor Him, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. 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