Coward Compromises Covert Code Collection

From: Andrew Swallow (am.swallow_at_eatspam.btinternet.com)
Date: 11/11/03

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Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 00:58:58 +0000 (UTC)

What the British spooks have been up to.

Andrew Swallow

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,2-523-887194,00.html
November 09, 2003 The Sunday Times

"Fears grow over 'rogue' MI5 agents
NICHOLAS RUFFORD

THE government is facing questions over a bungled MI5 spying operation
against the Pakistan high commission. MPs are demanding to know why the
espionage was apparently carried out without the approval of David Blunkett,
the home secretary.

The operation, revealed by The Sunday Times last week, has raised concerns
among MPs that MI5 may be running a team of "rogue" agents to carry out
illegal bugging.

Under the cover of restoration work at the high commission in Belgravia,
London, MI5 agents stole secret codes used by diplomats for sending messages
to Islamabad. They also worked out how to bug an internal telephone system
and closed-circuit television camera in the office of Abdul-Kader Jaffer,
then high commissioner.

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, who takes a close interest in
security matters, said the operation had echoes of rogue MI5 missions in the
1960s. "Peter Wright described in his book Spycatcher how MI5 bugged and
burgled its way across London," he said. "It seems nothing has changed."

Baker has asked Blunkett to make a Commons statement. He has also asked Jack
Straw, the foreign secretary, how he intends to explain MI5's actions to
Islamabad.

Pakistan has complained to the Foreign Office. Mark Lyall Grant, high
commissioner in Islamabad, was summoned to the Pakistani foreign ministry
last Tuesday. Britain has declared Pakistan to be a staunch ally in the war
on terror.

Agents and officers of "A branch", which handles surveillance, took part in
the four-month mission. It was aborted after a building contractor, hired to
give MI5 access to the high commission, got cold feet and quit.

Warrants are normally issued by the home secretary for tapping phones and
planting listening devices. The contractor - code-named "Notation" - was
told by MI5 that Blunkett had approved warrants. But Whitehall officials
have said no such approval was given, an admission which raises questions
about the mission's legality.

"A branch" had planned to bug the high commission from the basement to the
roof during restoration work in 2001 and has admitted the operation was
badly handled.

"We made some mistakes and we messed up," said a senior Home Office source.
"We thought it was a golden opportunity in the wake of September 11 to
target terrorist activity, but it backfired."

MPs also want to know who authorised cash payments of tens of thousands of
pounds to Notation. He was paid Ł61,000 in bundles of cash at meetings in
restaurants.

Notation eventually told his MI5 handler he feared the Pakistanis would
uncover the operation and he would be held responsible."