500lbguerilla
05-11-2007, 04:12 PM
By ALAN COWELL
Published: May 10, 2007
LONDON, May 9 — A British court found a civil servant and a legislator’s aide guilty on Wednesday of breaking the Official Secrets Act by leaking a classified memorandum concerning a conversation at the White House between Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush.
Much of the trial was held behind closed doors, and details of the four-page memorandum were not publicly disclosed. In November 2005, The Daily Mirror here reported that the memorandum quoted a threat in April 2004 by President Bush — denied in Washington and London — to bomb the offices of the television network Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar.
Shortly afterward, David Keogh, a government communications officer, and Leo O’Connor, a researcher in the office of a Labor Party legislator, were charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act. Mr. Keogh, 50, was accused of passing a copy of the contentious memorandum to Mr. O’Connor, 44, who worked in the offices of Anthony Clarke, a Labor Party lawmaker who opposed the war in Iraq.
Mr. Keogh testified that he hoped the leaked memorandum would attract broader interest. “The main person in my mind was John Kerry, who at the time was American candidate for the U.S. presidential election in 2004,” Mr. Keogh said. “It was to help my country.” When Mr. Clarke found a copy of the memorandum among his papers, he called the police and the prime minister’s office.
Rex Tedd, a lawyer representing Mr. Keogh, said his client “acted out of conscience.”
“No doubt he did so misguidedly,” Mr. Tedd said. “And he did so in a way that was likely to cause damage.” But, Mr. Tedd added, “he did not act out of political motive or financial gain or personal advantage.”
The main prosecutor, David Perry, described Mr. Keogh as a rogue. “Diplomacy is a delicate and sensitive act, and it cannot be properly carried out in our interest when what one government says to another cannot be kept secret or confidential,” he said.
A witness in the case, Nigel Sheinwald, Mr. Blair’s chief foreign policy adviser, said the contents of the document had a “direct bearing” on the presence of British troops in Iraq. Other witnesses said the document referred to the activities of British secret agents in Iraq.
Mr. Keogh and Mr. O’Connor were found guilty of making a damaging disclosure. Each had denied the charge. They are to be sentenced this week. Both of the defendants said they and Mr. Clarke had met at a dining club in Northampton, the central English town where they lived.
John Farmer, representing Mr. O’Connor, said Mr. O’Connor had not sought out the document. “It comes to him on the unfortunate basis that he was employed by a man who had a certain reputation,” Mr. Farmer said. “He places it with a member of Parliament. He does not promiscuously disperse it amongst the press or a foreign power, or anything of that sort.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/world/europe/10london.html?ex=1336449600&en=b3a06b45eea6c290&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
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Did I say Fox News? I meant Al-jezeera...
Published: May 10, 2007
LONDON, May 9 — A British court found a civil servant and a legislator’s aide guilty on Wednesday of breaking the Official Secrets Act by leaking a classified memorandum concerning a conversation at the White House between Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush.
Much of the trial was held behind closed doors, and details of the four-page memorandum were not publicly disclosed. In November 2005, The Daily Mirror here reported that the memorandum quoted a threat in April 2004 by President Bush — denied in Washington and London — to bomb the offices of the television network Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar.
Shortly afterward, David Keogh, a government communications officer, and Leo O’Connor, a researcher in the office of a Labor Party legislator, were charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act. Mr. Keogh, 50, was accused of passing a copy of the contentious memorandum to Mr. O’Connor, 44, who worked in the offices of Anthony Clarke, a Labor Party lawmaker who opposed the war in Iraq.
Mr. Keogh testified that he hoped the leaked memorandum would attract broader interest. “The main person in my mind was John Kerry, who at the time was American candidate for the U.S. presidential election in 2004,” Mr. Keogh said. “It was to help my country.” When Mr. Clarke found a copy of the memorandum among his papers, he called the police and the prime minister’s office.
Rex Tedd, a lawyer representing Mr. Keogh, said his client “acted out of conscience.”
“No doubt he did so misguidedly,” Mr. Tedd said. “And he did so in a way that was likely to cause damage.” But, Mr. Tedd added, “he did not act out of political motive or financial gain or personal advantage.”
The main prosecutor, David Perry, described Mr. Keogh as a rogue. “Diplomacy is a delicate and sensitive act, and it cannot be properly carried out in our interest when what one government says to another cannot be kept secret or confidential,” he said.
A witness in the case, Nigel Sheinwald, Mr. Blair’s chief foreign policy adviser, said the contents of the document had a “direct bearing” on the presence of British troops in Iraq. Other witnesses said the document referred to the activities of British secret agents in Iraq.
Mr. Keogh and Mr. O’Connor were found guilty of making a damaging disclosure. Each had denied the charge. They are to be sentenced this week. Both of the defendants said they and Mr. Clarke had met at a dining club in Northampton, the central English town where they lived.
John Farmer, representing Mr. O’Connor, said Mr. O’Connor had not sought out the document. “It comes to him on the unfortunate basis that he was employed by a man who had a certain reputation,” Mr. Farmer said. “He places it with a member of Parliament. He does not promiscuously disperse it amongst the press or a foreign power, or anything of that sort.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/world/europe/10london.html?ex=1336449600&en=b3a06b45eea6c290&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Did I say Fox News? I meant Al-jezeera...