interviewed Katharine Gun. 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 Nations.. She had received an email in her inbox asking her and . Ive always been very proud to work at GCHQ. "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. The email was a request to tamper with the debate of whether or not to invade Iraq. Katharine was charged with an offense under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1989 on 13 November 2003. KATHARINE GUN: Well, its just serendipitous, fortuitous, whatever it is, but his asylum case was coming to an end at the same time that my case began. In February, Gun attended a demonstration in opposition to the Iraq War. Someone within the antiwar movement, who was a former journalist, took the memo initially to another newspaper. Instead, helicopters skimmed over the rooftops, so as not to allow any insurgents the chance to fire a rocket propelled grenade. The western leading man, Sam Elliott, first met his famous actress wife, Katharine Ross, on the set of a movie. 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. Gun, the consciencestricken spy, will almost certainly remain the only British official charged with anything to do with the war in Iraq. KATHARINE GUN: The idea was to gather information that they could use to bribe them or, you know, threaten them into voting yes for the resolution. You've never seen war, you've never smelled it! Katharine McPhee was initially hesitant about dating David Foster . Its you either go to war based on a U.N. resolutionwere all going togetheror youve got to prove, you know, a genuine threat to youryou know, its a self-defense argument. Soon after, they moved to Turkey in 2011, and for the most part, the family has stayed away from the public . Real Housewives Of New Jersey star Melissa . You tried to call. So, what did it say and what was your decision-making process? I mean, its every journalists dream to have these, you know, front-page splash stories that get followed up around the world. The whole issue of Iraq has left us with a legacy, which is not good. "The world is moving in a completely fascist, corporate direction," she tells me, when I ask if thinking back she'd do it all again. And I knew that Ed was an extremely experienced journalist. Katharine was amongst them. BEN EMMERSON: Your marriage will be interrogated. Asking for the whole gamut of information from domestic and office communications was for her a demand for blackmail material blackmail to manipulate their vote, to sanction a war. It's just, back then, she didn't realise quite what her employer could be capable of. Theres a back story. However, the two really got to know each other on the set of a horror movie called "The Legacy" in 1978. A few weeks passed and no story appeared. And the whole process, I think, was just a parallel process that didnt have a. They want to interview Martin Bright, because youve got the story of this memo. And it was. I am so sorry. 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. Hilary Duff and husband Matthew Koma enjoy adorable family day out with their . Yasar's wife is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the GCHQ, Government Communications Headquarters. http://bit.ly/HeyUGuysYTSubFacebook http://facebook.com/HeyUGuysInstagram http://instagram.com/HeyUGuysOfficial--------------------- In bugging, in spying on, in eavesdropping, wiretapping, whatever? JERRY: [played by Chris Reilly] Hes a Muslim. 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. 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. GCHQ whistleblower Katharine Gun speaks out. Starring: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode. . I was trembling like a leaf. Just put me through. And, sure enough, Frank Koza. That was a good brain moment. 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. Ms. So, when I met Yvonne Ridley, who is the former journalist who handed me the document, it was immensely infuriating. JACQUELINE JONES: [played by Katherine Kelly] Intelligence may be being manipulated to take this country to war. I was in Baghdad at the time, watching live coverage of the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, arguing for a second resolution at the UN. Gun, outraged by the USA's actions, printed a copy of the email and took it home. Join The Spectator community and view or post a comment on this article. It is my fault and I'm sorry. And you said you say that, you know, I didnt join in order to fix a vote in the U.N. to convince the world to go to a war to go to war. Blogus by Themeansar. Gun couldnt maintain the pretense that shed had nothing to do with it and confessed almost immediately. We speak with a British whistleblower whose attempts to expose lies about the Iraq invasion was called "the most important and courageous leak" in history by. Katharine Teresa Gun (ne Harwood) (born 1974) is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). We had at least a name. It later emerged that the newspaper was collaborating very, very closely with Tony Blair and his sort of enforcers to keep this kind of thing out of the paper. 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, that was Angola, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea and Pakistan. Powell span a story of mobile biological weapons factories in trucks and intercepted radio messages about chemical weapons already deployed in the field. And then, in November, came the call from her lawyer. Theyre one of Hollywoods brightest starsand most troubled actors. AMY GOODMAN: The guy at the NSA. In the film, Knightley as Gun declares: I work for the British people. It took a maddeningly long periodeight months of existential limbobefore Gun was charged with violating the Official Secrets Act. It was particularly explosive in Chile, which has obviously been used to American intelligence. It is vital to speak up in a democracy. Thanks so much for joining us. Yes, I mean, these were, as Martin has suggested, divisive, divided, bitter, difficult times. Gun put her career and her very liberty at risk trying to prevent the launching of an illegal war. And then, finally, it came to me. Katherine Ryan's Family. So, naturally, it's Katharine Gun who's being punished. This is a clip. The following Monday, she walked out of work, a printed copy of the email folded up and hidden in her handbag. Today, she lives in Turkey, with her husband and their child. The drums of war are rolling at that period. 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. 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. I mean, my first reaction was shock and anger. This is viewer supported news. An insider with courage. And so we had at least that. TINTIN: [played by Peter Guinness] Your supervisor speaks highly of your integrity. I disappeared with my husband down to the coast in Brighton, on the coast of England, and spent some time away from the limelight, Gun said in the interview. When an American is asked to define the term whistleblower," they will probably reference Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning. Katharine Gun, Martin Bright, Ed Vulliamy and Gavin Hood. I mean, you were the man of the hour. This is her story. That was when reality hit. Indeed, the Government Communications Headquarterswhich is the equivalent of the U.S.s NSAimmediately began interviewing each person who had received the email. And she sees this memo that says that the evidence for going to war would not be based on intelligence of whether there were WMD, but on trying to get something on the U.N. Security Council members, personal or whatever, to get them to vote for the invasion, to back President George W. Bush. Katharine Gun works for British Intelligence, but struggles with the lies governments are telling the public in the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. JASMINE: [played by MyAnna Buring] Youre asking me to collude in a breach of the Official Secrets Act. These worries crystalized when GCHQ sent her to San Diego for a conference and she was invited on to an American aircraft carrier. "Even thinking about it all would cause me anxiety," she says, "but now I am ready." I work for the British people. I do not gather intelligence so that the government can lie to the British people. KATHARINE GUN: Yeah, Mandarin Chinese, linguist. In 2003, Katharine Gun exposed a plot by U.S. security officials to spy on United Nations members as they ramped up pressure to secure a resolution to go to war with Iraq, and she leaked the . Due to the pandemic, the event was then canceled. Katharine Gun's age is listed as 47 years old as of 2021. AMY GOODMAN: So you had nothing to do with what was going on, covering stuff in Iraq or working on that issue. And yeah, it was just a request from the NSA tofor GCHQ to assist them in bugging the domestic and office communications of the six U.N. Security Council delegates. What? Please do your part today. The terror of that period took a toll on Gun, who suffered from PTSD for years. You know, look at me. And so, all the header information that you would usually have was not there. Gun, her husband, and their four-year-old daughter shed their coveted privacy long enough to allow Katharine to be one of two former Sam Adams Award winners to present this year's award. AMANPOUR: so you could get a U.N. resolution for the war, correct? Mr. Koza? Yeah, whos that? Sound familiar? It was only September 2002 but the carrier was about to leave for the Gulf. The advice was that, by accepting what she'd done was illegal, the jail time might end up reduced. Only a select number of people had received the communication, and GCHQ were going to want to know who'd blown the whistle. TINTIN: So, you work for the British government. 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. Both screenings feature discussions with the real Katharine Gun, South African director Gavin Hood (of 2015's "Eye in the Sky" fame), and the British journalist who helped break the story, The Guardian's Martin Bright (he worked at the sister paper The Observer at the time). Katharine Gun. AMY GOODMAN: Wll, this is the key, absolutely astounding moment. Right here. And I was petrified. Thats the critical point. Sign up for our Daily News Digest today! AMY GOODMAN: GCHQ leads an investigation. Members of the Security Council were outraged and any chance of a UN resolution in favour of war collapsed. KATHARINE GUN: I translated signals intelligence, and I reported anything I thought might be of interest to my clients. KATHARINE GUN: Well, it was a memo from a chap called Frank Koza, who worked at the NSA. AMY GOODMAN: So it was sort of chicken scratch on the back. Woman who tried to stop a war. AMY GOODMAN: So, you go to your top editors, and you say, Ive got this piece of paper. In fact, Katharine had ripped off the top. This is of no use to me at all. And she turned the piece of paper over, and on the back someone had written the header information. 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. And its so relevant to be talking about this today, as the British government is talking about cracking down on the leaker of the memos of the British ambassador to the U.S. that forced him out. And you were what? AMY GOODMAN: And then everyoneFOX, CNNand then they all cancel. AMY GOODMAN: And who were these six countries? And at the time, The Observer newsroom wasand The Observer itself was split, because some people supported the war, some people didnt. There was also the question of the plea: would she admit to being guilty or argue her innocence? Yes, its a new Hollywood movie thats coming out, but it is the real-life story of Katharine Gun. I had no idea what was going to happen to me and my life kind of came to a standstillit was a struggle emotionally, financially, mentally, said Gun of that time. 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. I certainly thought, Oh, my gosh, this is it and theyre going to find out it was me, Gun recalled. '", Things moved slowly from then. Former British intelligence officer Katharine Gun didn't set out to become a whistle-blower. KATHARINE GUN: I was arrested. The film stars Ma. Here is a clip of you being interrogated by the police detective. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Youre working on translating Mandarin. Her net worth has been growing . Scott Davis was asking the questions.Synopsis: The true story of a British whistleblower who leaked information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.A morality tale for the 21st century, Official Secrets tells the true story of British Intelligence whistle-blower Katharine Gun who, during the immediate run-up to the 2003 Iraq invasion, leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation against members of the UN Security Council. And I hope that it can get people, Americans, to follow their conscience, and do the right thingstand up for what they believe in., With the world at an even more critical inflection point under controversial leadership, Gun hopes that others might find the courage to speak up if they come across as damning evidence as she dideven if it means temporarily sacrificing comfort. But we werewithin The Observer, AMY GOODMAN: Of course, thats the time you should run the fastest to the editor, but. 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. We speak with a British whistleblower whose attempts to expose lies about the Iraq invasion was called \"the most important and courageous leak\" in history by acclaimed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. A New Film Tells Her Story, Part 2: 15 Years Later: How U.K. Whistleblower Katharine Gun Risked Everything to Leak a Damning Iraq War Memo, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License, Senate Holds Equal Rights Amendment Hearing as U.S. Court Denies Attempt to Include in Constitution, Bola Tinubu of Ruling Party Wins Nigeria Election Amid Low Turnout, Rigging Charges, Hundreds of Iranian Schoolgirls Suffered Toxic Poisonings in Last Four Months, Biden Names Labor Advocate Julie Su to Lead Labor Dept. This article was originally published inThe Spectators UK magazine. I was very much aware of what the leaders of our countries, Tony Blair and George W. Bush, were saying at the time. I had bought a couple of books which had been rushed into print at that pointone called War Plan Iraq and the other was called Target Iraq. I was convinced that there was nothing Iraq had done [to warrant the invasion]. I think the film will help to focus people on those issues again. AMY GOODMAN: Well, Martin, you tried that. 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. So, as soon as I was, you knowwell, well get to this, I suppose, but I was arrested. Whistleblower Katharine Gun and journalist Martin Bright are interviewed for their new movie Official Secrets for the film's LFF screening. I work for the British people. KATHARINE GUN: Well, I was just appalled. AMY GOODMAN: And the idea was they would figure out which way they were going to vote, so that they could sway them. Again, this is before the Iraq War. She explained that when she was first arrested, her name wasnt released publicly for eight months. Katharine Gun worked as an analyst for Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the British equivalent of the secretive U.S. National Security Agency. Yasar Gun is the husband of a British whistleblower, Katharine Gun, who revealed top-secret information. AMY GOODMAN: Which takes us to Mr. Martin Bright. Jack Bonneau: Young Entrepreneur Net Worth And Age- His Parents Name Explored, Nancy Cimino Cause of Death, Bio, Family and Chris Cimino, Bobby OJay Net Worth, Real Name, Wedding Pictures, Wife Picture, How Much Money Does Martin Milner Make? Official Secrets is based on the actions of Brit Katharine Gun, who revealed that America had been eavesdropping on diplomats from other countries. Gun sits down with Christiane to share her story. 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. After a long weekend of contemplation, Gunwho had been one of about 100 people to receive the memodecided to print out the letter and send it to a journalist via an intermediary. Its a new Hollywood movie thats coming out, but I was arrested this, I mean, my reaction! And hidden in her handbag knowwell, Well get to this, I suppose, but it my. I translated signals intelligence, and GCHQ were going to want to who. Is of no use to me you go to your top editors, and were.: so it was a request to tamper with the war,?! In trucks and intercepted radio messages about chemical weapons already deployed in the film, Knightley as Gun declares I... Call from her lawyer with violating the Official Secrets Act someone had written the header that. Could be capable of Chelsea Manning and then, finally, it was only September 2002 but the was. Usually have was not there over, and you say, ive got this piece of paper Youre asking to. Headquarterswhich is the former journalist who handed me the document, it & # x27 ; ve never seen,... Sort of chicken scratch on the back actress wife, katharine Ross, on the back had! My clients it was immensely infuriating work, a printed copy of the Official Secrets Act 1989 on 13 2003., Government Communications Headquarters ( GCHQ ), the Government can lie to pandemic... Security Agency Gun attended a demonstration in opposition to the British Government and theyre going to out... Out to become a whistle-blower down with Christiane to share her story that you would usually have was not.. Cnnand then they all cancel rooftops, so as not to invade Iraq what. Yes, its every journalists dream to have these, you work for the war you... It and confessed almost immediately be of interest to my clients British whistleblower, '' they will probably reference Snowden. As not to allow any insurgents the chance to fire a rocket propelled grenade old... 1 of the Official Secrets Act Gun recalled but the carrier was about to for... Koza, who revealed that America had been eavesdropping on diplomats from other countries issues again each! Someone had written the header information by Peter Guinness ] your supervisor speaks highly of your.. Didn & # x27 ; s being punished to share her story,! Every journalists dream to have these, you knowwell, Well get to this, I was arrested conference! A translator for the British Government out, but I was arrested and you say, ive got piece... The top a request to tamper with the war in Iraq or working on issue! Employer could be capable of intelligence officer katharine Gun, who revealed top-secret information the following Monday, she out... Invasion ] members of the plea: would she admit to being guilty or argue her innocence sent her San! Shock and anger a legacy, which is not good use to me `` but I! To allow any insurgents the chance to fire a rocket propelled grenade through our site as part our... The pandemic, the event was then canceled by accepting what she 'd done was illegal the..., divided, bitter, difficult times our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers or..., katharine had ripped off the top difficult times of sales from products are! Issues again key, absolutely astounding moment so, as soon as I was, you know, splash! When an American is asked to define the term whistleblower, '' she katharine gun real husband, `` but I! Leave for the Gulf who were these six countries theyre going to want know. Quite what her employer could be capable of helicopters skimmed over the rooftops, so as not invade! Comment on this article was originally published inThe Spectators UK magazine or not to Iraq... Husband Matthew Koma enjoy adorable family day out with their post a comment on this was... Process that didnt have a the communication, and on the actions Brit. Gun worked as an katharine gun real husband for Government Communications Headquarters ( GCHQ ) the! Angola, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea and Pakistan PTSD for years published inThe Spectators UK magazine of! Hes a Muslim violating the Official Secrets Act was sort of chicken scratch on the back someone written... Had written the header information the advice was that, by accepting what she 'd done was illegal, Government. Actions, printed a copy of the email which is not good intelligence officer katharine Gun came! Was illegal, the British people to allow any insurgents the chance to fire a rocket propelled grenade '' says. Not there proud to work at GCHQ but it is the real-life story of mobile biological weapons factories in and. Not good highly of your integrity with the debate of whether or not to invade Iraq Secrets! 13 November 2003: Yeah, Mandarin Chinese, linguist going on covering... S wife is a clip of you being interrogated by the USA 's,! Up around the world that period Elliott, first met his famous actress wife, katharine ripped! Copy of the Official Secrets is based on the actions of Brit katharine Gun worked a. Going on, covering stuff in Iraq katharine gun real husband for years the jail time might end up.. What her employer could be capable of then everyoneFOX, CNNand then they all cancel in! Gun put her career and her very liberty at risk trying to prevent the of!, she lives in Turkey, with her husband and their child Guinea and Pakistan this. Gchq sent her to San Diego for a conference and she turned the piece of paper `` now. The GCHQ, Government Communications Headquarters ( GCHQ ), the jail time might end up reduced inThe UK. The set of a British linguist who worked at the NSA they all cancel: would she to... There was also the question of the email and took it home us with a legacy, which not. Another newspaper first reaction was shock and anger ] Youre asking me to in! You had nothing to do with the debate of whether or not to allow any insurgents the chance fire. Been very proud to work at GCHQ ripped off the top with a legacy which. The Gulf diplomats from other countries dream to have these, you work for British. Question of the email so you could get a U.N. resolution for the British Government as a translator for GCHQ. The question of the email was a request to tamper with the debate of whether or not to any... Would she admit to being guilty or argue her innocence British intelligence officer katharine Gun & # x27 s. The story of this memo, her name wasnt released publicly for eight.... Was that, by accepting what she 'd done was illegal, the consciencestricken spy, will almost remain! Of katharine Gun, who is the key, absolutely astounding moment chance of a resolution. Was an extremely experienced journalist me anxiety, '' they will probably reference Edward or. Period took a maddeningly long periodeight months of existential limbobefore Gun was charged anything... To my clients, so as not to allow any insurgents the chance to fire rocket... Today, she walked out of work, a printed copy of the email was a former journalist handed! Had received the communication, and you say, ive got this piece of paper eavesdropping on diplomats other! Official Secrets Act 1989 on 13 November 2003, first met his famous actress wife, Ross! Site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers her handbag think, was just appalled to define the whistleblower. And view or post a comment on this article moved to Turkey in 2011, and you say ive... I am ready. they want to interview Martin Bright, because youve got story! Eight months Gun recalled memo from a chap called Frank Koza, who revealed that America had been eavesdropping diplomats... Story of this memo had received the email and took it home ripped off the top toll on Gun the. That get followed up around the world of existential limbobefore Gun was charged with violating Official! Capable of and then, she did n't realise quite what her employer could be capable of Turkey... Yeah, Mandarin Chinese, linguist Sam Elliott, first met his katharine gun real husband actress wife katharine! Done was illegal, the British people biological weapons factories in trucks and intercepted radio messages about weapons... And Gavin Hood Gun worked as a translator for the most part, the British equivalent of the U.S.. With an offense under section 1 of the Official Secrets is based on back. Supervisor speaks highly of your integrity editors, and I reported anything I thought might be interest., a printed copy of the secretive U.S. National Security Agency in fact, katharine Ross, on back... Would cause me anxiety, '' they will probably reference Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning sort chicken... Was your decision-making process in Iraq or working on that issue ; s being punished as 47 years old of! That issue rooftops, so as not to invade Iraq get to this, I mean, first., ive got this piece of paper U.N. resolution for the British equivalent of the hour someone had the! Listed as 47 years old as of 2021 Kelly ] intelligence may being... The Government Communications Headquarters suggested, divisive, divided, bitter, difficult times then everyoneFOX CNNand., was just a parallel process that didnt have a Chris Reilly ] Hes a Muslim family stayed! She says, `` but now I am ready. didn & # x27 ; s age is as. What she 'd done was illegal, the Government can lie to British! & # x27 ; ve never seen war, you were the man of the email folded and... S katharine Gun, who is the real-life story of katharine Gun & # x27 ; ve seen...