Turn off light Favorite Comments () Report

Official Secrets

Official Secrets is a morality story for the 21st Century. It tells the real story of Katharine Gun, British Intelligence whistleblower, who leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a US-UK joint illegal spying operation targeting members of the UN Security Council. This memo suggested blackmailing members of smaller states that were not yet deciding whether they wanted to vote for war. The leaked document was published in The Observer in London by Martin Bright, a journalist who took great risk. The story became a major news item around the globe. The Security Council was outraged, and there was no chance for a UN resolution in favor of war. Within days Bush decided he didn’t need UN support and invaded Iraq. Katharine, who was charged with violating the Official Secrets Act as Iraq fell into chaos, was taken into custody. Martin could also be charged. The legal fights revealed that the Washington and London highest government officials had manipulated intelligence to help sell an illegal war.