to your inbox each morning. In any walk of life, you can choose to do the right thing, she said. 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. But nonetheless, you wanted to do that. 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. 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. today: https://democracynow.org/donateFOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! And I justyou know, I just collapsed. "I immediately felt like I was in danger," she says, describing her internal panic, the desperation to look calm and to not draw any attention to herself. As of 2020, Gun and her husband Yasar live in both Turkey and Britain. Never heard of Gun? It seemed like it might be more interesting than some import-export company. Much like the invasion, the plan is considered to have violated international law. ANDY DUMFRIES: [played by Jack Farthing] The Americans want us to help them get a U.N. resolution for war. We had at least a name. You cannot talk to anyone about your intelligence work. BEN EMMERSON: Do you want to risk it all? By Gabrielle Bruney . MARTIN BRIGHT: Yes. And . Then the story went away, and that's how I wanted it at that time, because I was actually quite traumatized by the whole thing. She did add, however, that she's hopeful the film will shed much needed light on the subject. I actually felt like, if I do this anonymously, nobody will realize its me and Ill carry on as usual. But about a month after leaking the letter, Gun was stunned to see that The Observer had published the document in full on its front page. She revealed the dirty tricks on the UN Iraq war vote to the world. It was a crisis meeting because they had failed to get a second UN resolution, to give legal cover for the war. How frustrating it was for Gun to sit in her modest home next to her husband, and see fiction portrayed on the evening news. So, I called him and asked him if he could do anything to help track down Frank Koza, or the reality or otherwise of this individual. When Katharine blew the secret off the American-British spy efforts in 2003, her husband was thrown into troubled waters, which few people knew. She was sitting at her computer in GCHQ when an email arrived from one Frank Koza, chief of staff at the regional targets division of the US National Security Agency. They want to interview Martin Bright, because youve got the story of this memo. "It worries me, it should worry us all. "I need to have a word with you," she gulped. Katharine read the content carefully, and immediately felt sick to her stomach: it was a classified directive from the American authorities asking the British to spy on six UN Security Council members. MARTIN BRIGHT: The paperthe editorial line was supporting the war, but obviously there were those of us within the paper who didnt. AMY GOODMAN: Wll, this is the key, absolutely astounding moment. In fact, your husbandwould they attempt to deport him? TINTIN: You eavesdrop on private conversations. Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. Katharine Gun is the Most Important Whistleblower You've Never Heard of Gun discusses her attempt to stop the Iraq War, which is the subject of the new movie Official Secrets . KATHARINE GUN: If we do not go public, we would be conceding that no one can ever tell the people when their government is lying. AMANPOUR: by somebody within your organization. Gun was cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act after being fired for revealing a secret e-mail. KATHARINE GUN: When I saw this email asking GCHQs help to bug the six swing nations to gather a vote for war with Iraq, I was very angry at first and very saddened that it had come to this, and that despite all the talk from both Tony Blair and George Bush about how important it was to get the U.N. on board and to legitimize any kind of aggression, that they were actually going around it in such low-handed manner. TINTIN: So, you work for the British government. 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. I asked her why she decided to leak the memo. 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. Gun had, of course, been forced to abandon her career in the civil service and finally, struggling for work, left Britain altogether. Could you put me through? Whos talking, sir? I cant say. It was as it happened. The Man Who Deleted His Past Before He Was Found Dead. Were going to do Part 2, and were going to post it online at democracynow.org, to talk about thesethe courage Katharine Gun had in revealing this information, and then what this means for whistleblowers today and for U.S.-British policy today. MARTIN BRIGHT: It was cock-up rather than conspiracy. What Really Happened During the Making of. 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 . And so, we knew that time was short. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, you work for the British government? Enter Katharine Gun. Sixteen years on, the words are still seared into memory. It seemed as if the decision to go to war had already been made, that all the diplomacy then taking place was a charade. It didnt just end when George Bush said, Mission accomplished. Its heartbreaking that its affecting so many lives, and for what? Hilary Duff and husband Matthew Koma enjoy adorable family day out with their . This is a rush transcript. Now her story has been adapted into the film Official Secrets starring Keira Knightley. Let us learn more about the duo and where they are currently. Katharine Teresa Gun (ne Harwood) (born 1974) is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Yeah, and those are the. Democracy Now! But then you turn yourself in. Katharine feared she'd be fobbed off and then put under surveillance should she report it, so instead she kept silent and headed home for the weekend. Keira Knightley says she doesn't think she'd have the courage to follow in the footsteps of the "true hero" whistleblower Katharine Gun, whom she plays in new thriller Official Secrets . Official Secrets is released in cinemas on the 18th of October, 2019. The 1967 film Guess Whos Coming to Dinner starred Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton as a ne, As the open-hearted matriarch Hattie Mae in Tyler Perrys 2022 film A Jazzmans Blues, Amirah Vann demonstrates a great tenderness and fierce love to b, This story includes spoilers for Saint Omer. What were you employed to do? We were handed a simple sheet of A4 paper that had a series of words typed on it. And then, one morning, Katharine popped to her local shop to pick up the paper, as she did every Sunday, and there, on the front page of The Observer, was the email she'd leaked. Ross weighs about 50 kg or 110 lbs. KATHARINE GUN: It was a full nine to 10 months after the event. There's a real potency to Gun's tale of truth-telling in our world of social media and fake news. Katharine Gun speaks out for 'Official Secrets'. The diplomats were due to vote on a second United . That is the only consolation I have A lot of people would welcome that. The CIA knows it. You know, its not every day you get a top-secret memo, and not just a top-secret memo from GCHQ, but a top-secret memo from the NSA sent to GCHQ. For more on this incredible story and the real-life thriller that is coming out on August 30th in movie theaters around the countryour guest, Katharine Gun, is played by Keira Knightleywere joined by Katharine Gun herself, the whistleblower, former employee of Britains global surveillance center, GCHQ, played by actress Keira Knightley, yes. This presented a problem. 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. Heeding the dictates of conscience and true patriotism, Ms. Our obligation is to the truth. Soon after, they moved to Turkey in 2011, and for the most part, the family has stayed away from the public . Economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram on World Bank, Climate Emergency, Global Debt Crisis & More, We Want a Better Future: Meet an Asylum Seeker Evicted from, Jeremy Scahill on Mistreatment of Whistleblowers & Uneven Enforcement of Laws over Classified Papers, Part 1: In 2003, This U.K. Whistleblower Almost Stopped the Iraq Invasion. A Single Conscience V. the State. When she leaks an NSA memo to the press exposing the American covert manipulation of allies, she will be forced into the spotlight. Yes, in 2003, Gun was working for British intelligencethats GCHQ, the intelligence agency similar to the NSA, the National Security Agencywhen she leaked a memo revealing the United States was collaborating with Britain in collecting sensitive information to hold over U.N. Security Council members to get them to support the Iraq War. The film is coming out August 30th in theaters around the country. Almost a decade ago, the world was gripped with anxiety as it watched the legal proceedings against a young Se. As of 2019, she lived in Turkey with her husband and daughter for several years. Former lead guitarist of The Band Robbie Robertson takes Walter Isaacson behind the scenes of his legendary rock career. 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. And I felt it was explosive information. We were going to bring all of this out and it was all going to be in the public. Instead, the case was droppeda temporary relief for her, but a troubling outcome on a greater scale, since it essentially meant they slammed the door shut on that discussion.. That night, Katharine posted the letter to a contact whose identity she continues to withhold. She wondered if the economic sanctions that were supposed to choke Saddams dictatorship were instead, as the critics maintained, causing a genocide of Iraqis. Guided by her conscience, Katharine Gun defied her government and leaked the memo to the press, setting off a chain of events that jeopardized her freedom, her safety, but also opened the door to putting the entire Iraq invasion on trial. And, Ed, youre played by Rhys Ifans brilliantly in this movie, Official Secrets. Copy may not be in its final form. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! On January 23 2003, Gun, who worked at GCHQ translating messages from Mandarin Chinese into English, discovered an email from American intelligence agent Frank Koza. Maybe reporters decided it was a fake, Katharine thought; maybe she'd just entirely misjudged its significance. whistleblower and former specialist for Britains Government Communications Headquarters. Target. Whistleblowing on wrongdoing is part of that fightback. Tweet. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: https://democracynow.orgPlease consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! 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. GUN: Thats right. MARTIN BRIGHT: Yeah, so, initially, we were quite nervous. Youre working on translating Mandarin. Katharine Gun, former intelligence specialist turned whistleblower, discusses the new film "Official Secrets" which details why she leaked a classified memo. GUN: Well, no, I was a recipient alongside about a hundred other recipients of that e-mail. Finally, she called someone (she has never named) who had connections to the media, telling them: I have something explosive, I think it has the potential to avert a war with Iraq. She went back into work on Monday, printed the email, folded it neatly and put it in her bag. It isn't a crime, it's a responsibility.". I mean, you were the man of the hour. Katharine Gun worked as an analyst for Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the British equivalent of the secretive U.S. National Security Agency. And those six swing nations, their delegates, they wanted , AMANPOUR: When you say swing nations, they were once at that the U.S. and the U.K. were trying to get on side . Truth has a habit of . When she arrived, escorted by security, all her colleagues knew too. Within half an hour, the prosecution had decided to drop its case, for reasons that to this day remain mysterious. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Right here. And I was petrified. Bush remembers his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, saying to him: I hope thats not the last time we ever see them.. So, today, at the age of 59, Cary Stayner is incarcerated at the San Quentin State Prison. Mary Katherine Higdon of Griffin, Georgia, was arrested for the murder of her live-in boyfriend, Steven Freeman. Her father is a drafting technician who runs an engineering company, while her mother is the owner of a company that offers IT consulting services. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Back in 30 seconds. Gun, youre a spy. Now, I asked around. The email wasnt even meant for her. Some of it was to do with complications over an unfortunate spell check within the memo. TINTIN: You gather information from peoples phones and computers, and you feed that to your clients. 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