A few weeks passed and no story appeared. These actors are so clever, Amy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Is that right, Katharine? Gavin, who worked on the screenplay and is the director. They were going use information gathered from the intelligence to either bribe or blackmail them into voting for this war. Former lead guitarist of The Band Robbie Robertson takes Walter Isaacson behind the scenes of his legendary rock career. Democracy Now! This is Democracy Now! AMANPOUR: And in the film, your character played by Keira Knightley basically says I mean, you say you were proud of working in GCHQ until you saw this memo. The ripple effect from that initial invasion is continually being felt in worldwide institutions, in the U.S. and the U.K. Nobody really has been held responsible for it, and the fact remains that the nation of Iraq is still very much traumatized by what happened. Together they have a 13-year-old daughter. Katharine Gun. Heeding the dictates of conscience and true patriotism, Ms. That does it for our show. Her net worth has been growing . I think of journalists as being bullet-proof in a way. Enter Katharine Gun. He remains on death row as of July 2021, but there have been zero executions in the state of California since a 2006 court . Gun, the consciencestricken spy, will almost certainly remain the only British official charged with anything to do with the war in Iraq. The defense would have argued that, at the time I leaked the memo, I believed the war was illegal. 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. It would show that when our politicians break the law they are held accountable. There is no chance of such a war crimes trial. AMANPOUR: And that spoke was this memo that had , AMANPOUR: been leaked to you and then you leaked it to the press, not leaked but delivered to you . But its not hard to guess from the, In 2013, Gun spoke with journalist Martin Bright, who published Guns leaked memo and plays a major role in the film, in an interview published by. But then you turn yourself in. AMY GOODMAN: I mean, the paper had come out supporting the war. As the build-up to war continued, Gun felt increasing dismay. AMY GOODMAN: You said, May I please speak to Mr. Koza?, MARTIN BRIGHT: May I please speak to Mr. Koza? And they said, We dont give out names. And he says, Excuse me, Mr. Bright.. AMY GOODMAN: I know. Keira Knightley plays Katharine Gun in the film Official Secrets (Photo: eOne) Now living quietly in Turkey, Gun has been thrust into the global spotlight once again . She has then attributed to being a huge source of information to the medias watch. That level of pressure, stress and attention took its toll. Katharine Gun was a translator at GCHQ, when she received an email in her inbox from Frank Koza, a leading figure in the American National Security Agency. Thats Keira Knightley playing Katharine Gun, whos in our studio now, the whistleblower, former British spy, worked for British intelligence, explaining why she leaked this memo, which would get to the press, which would get to The Observer, which brings us to our next two guests, Martin Bright and as well as Ed Vulliamy. When an American is asked to define the term whistleblower," they will probably reference Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning. Your viewers will recall them; I hope not, for their sake, but some of them will. 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. Two weeks later, on the 15th of February, 2003, a million people took to the streets of London to protest the prospect of Britain joining the war in Iraq. And this was before Isis, which exists, in part, because of events set in train by the war. Robbie Robertson Reflects on His Legendary Rock Career, Iraq War Whistle Blower Katharine Gun Shares Her Story, Jack Goldsmith Discusses the Limits of Executive Power, + Major support for Amanpour and Company is provided by the Anderson Family Charitable Fund, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim, III, Candace King Weir, Jim Attwood and Leslie Williams, Mark J. Blechner, Seton J. Melvin, Bernard and Denise Schwartz, Koo and Patricia Yuen, the Leila and Mickey Straus Family Charitable Trust, Barbara Hope Zuckerberg, Jeffrey Katz and Beth Rogers, the Filomen M. DAgostino Foundation and. Her story was adapted into the film Official Secrets in 2019. Whos that? I said, Im ringing about the GCHQ memo that you sent. Click. We thought it was really interesting to talk to you at this time. Ross has black color eyes and black color hair. The Man Who Deleted His Past Before He Was Found Dead. Katharine Gun explains how she exposed a plot by U.S. security officials to spy on United Nations members in 2003. It's taken a long time for Katharine to feel comfortable talking about everything that happened. I was sort of I felt like I was blinkered as a horse. Official Secrets recounts Gun's story, from her fateful decision (which of course accomplished nothing in the end, even though the leak quickly went public) to her bizarre criminal trial. Our writers hold no party line; their only allegiance is to clarity of thought, elegance of expression and independence of opinion. So, today, at the age of 59, Cary Stayner is incarcerated at the San Quentin State Prison. Otherwise we are living in dictatorships. Mary Katherine Higdon of Griffin, Georgia, was arrested for the murder of her live-in boyfriend, Steven Freeman. She is known for having exposed a plan by the US government to spy on the United Nations shortly before a vote concerning America's illegal invasion of Iraq. Yasar Gun is the husband of a British whistleblower, Katharine Gun, who revealed top-secret information. "I got into the office, turned on my computer and looked through my emails," says Katharine, more than 16 years later. The highly confidential memo revealed the United States was collaborating with Britain in collecting sensitive information on United Nations Security Council members in order to pressure them into supporting the Iraq invasion. "Public opinion was just so obviously against the invasion that I thought it wouldn't happen," she recalls. You didnt. It seemed as if the decision to go to war had already been made, that all the diplomacy then taking place was a charade. People are traumatizedmilitary personnel are coming back extremely traumatized. 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. Let us learn more about the duo and where they are currently. And I felt it was explosive information. It was intended for someone else but had been distributed to everyone in her section. 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. MARTIN BRIGHT: Well, but only with a story that you know is true. Her late husband, Tom, a former special agent of the FBI and one-time head of counter-intelligence in New York, co-authored the Gun . The movie tells the story of Katharine Gun (played by Keira Knightley), a translator with the U.K.'s GCHQ who, in 2003, leaked top secret documents to journalist Martin Bright (Matt Smith) that . I work for the British people. And tell the final results of what happened. No, you just do not do stuff like that. A month later, the Observer splashed the story over its front page. In January 2003, 28-year-old GCHQ translator Katharine Gun received an email from the US National Security Agency that would turn her world upside down. Katherine is the eldest of three sisters. AMY GOODMAN: The guy at the NSA. But within days, Bush declared he no longer needed UN backing and invaded anyway. Amirah Vann Brings Heart & Depth to Black Womens Stories i British whistleblower named Katharine Gun, Gun how she felt looking back on her decision, Blair has been given the opportunity to speak about Brexit. Here is a clip of you being interrogated by the police detective. Sound familiar? Yasars wife is a British linguist who worked as a translator for the GCHQ, Government Communications Headquarters. AMY GOODMAN: Wll, this is the key, absolutely astounding moment. She was arrested and held at the police station in Cheltenham for 24 hours before being bailed. When asked by Salon how it felt to see a famous actress act out her life for an audience . We welcome you all to Democracy Now! GAVIN HOOD: So, yes, tremendous amount of pressure coming down on these countries, because if Blair and Bush had been able to get that U.N. resolution for the invasion, the weapons of mass destruction issue would have been almost pretty much irrelevant, because theres two legal ways to go to war. whistleblower and former specialist for Britains Government Communications Headquarters. A year after she walked down the aisle, Ross gave birth to their only child, Cleo Rose, on September 17, 1984, in Malibu, California. Who Is Yasar Gun? KNIGHTLEY: Governments change. Several weeks later she was surprised to see the email she had printed out on the front page of a newspaper. But, so you have to track down Frank Koza. KATHARINE GUN: Well, I was just appalled. The Americans had sent GCHQ a request to spy on the UN ambassadors of the six countries with the important, perhaps swing, votes. It seemed like it might be more interesting than some import-export company. Theyre cooking this up. I was like, Mmm. The diplomats were from member states of the 2003 Security Council, and they were due to vote on a second United Nations resolution on the future 2003 invasion of Iraq. And Rhys Ifans plays the outraged insanity rather well, to my embarrassment, but he does a good job. 2019 | Maturity Rating: R | 1h 51m | Social Issue Dramas. AMY GOODMAN: So you had nothing to do with what was going on, covering stuff in Iraq or working on that issue. Whistleblower Katharine Gun and journalist Martin Bright are interviewed for their new movie Official Secrets for the film's LFF screening. That contact had connections with the antiwar movement. Katharine Gun, former intelligence specialist turned whistleblower, discusses the new film "Official Secrets" which details why she leaked a classified memo. Im Amy Goodman. Famed U.K. whistleblower Katharine Gun joins Justin on Extension 720 to talk about, "Official Secrets," the new movie based on her real life story.Gun leaked a secret memo exposing an illegal spying operation by the United States of America, looking for information with which to blackmail United Nations diplomats tasked to vote on a resolution regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq. 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 . AMY GOODMAN: But what did you see in your email? The Crown Prosecution Service was about to charge her. Yeah, and those are the. The true story of British Intelligence whistleblower Katharine Gun, who leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation. The legal case against Gun was eventually dropped by the British government in 2004, after her lawyer, Ben Emmerson QC (played in the film with fabulous charisma by Ralph Fiennes), threatened to use disclosure to put the legal basis of the war itself on trial. In 2003, the girl in her 20s initiated a courageous move to expose the secret plan made by the US government. "It felt like the protests were what would stop the war," she says. And it was a very collaborativeit was a very collaborative place. It seemed inevitable. She went home and stewed about the email for the whole weekend. Gun was cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act after being . because my husband wouldn't . The CIA knows it. And you were what? 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. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! In 2003, Katharine Gun was working for Britains Government Communications Headquarters, known as GCHQ, the intelligence agency similar to the National Security Agency here, when she opened a top-secret NSA memorandum. Acclaimed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg described Guns action as the most important and courageous leak I have ever seen. Guns incredible story is depicted in the new film Official Secrets, which premieres in the U.S. August 30. http://bit.ly/HeyUGuysYTSubFacebook http://facebook.com/HeyUGuysInstagram http://instagram.com/HeyUGuysOfficial--------------------- Gun said that remarkably and very depressingly, Although technically a period piece, moviegoers will be able to make connections to more recent whistleblowing scandals when watching, Knightley said when she asked Gun if she would do it again, Gun simply replied, Yes, absolutely., The Bold True Story Of Official Secrets Katharine Gun, Over the decades, popular culture has created dominant narratives of the Dominican Republic that are most often synonymous with poverty, crime, or state vi, This story contains spoilers for Ant-Man: Quantumania. Theres a back story. We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. 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. Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts . Yeah. What were you employed to do? Sign up for our Daily News Digest today! 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. AMY GOODMAN: And the idea was they would figure out which way they were going to vote, so that they could sway them. And they attempt to deport your husband, who is a? It was a Friday when I saw the email. You wanted to stop the Iraq war. 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. 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. It was a Friday afternoon. The drums of war are rolling at that period. I think the film will help to focus people on those issues again. So, that was Angola, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea and Pakistan. It was as it happened. But of course that did not stop the war. But, in 2003, when she came across an email suggesting that the United States and the U.K . 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. Gun, outraged by the USA's actions, printed a copy of the email and took it home. Gun, 29, was . If people knew about this, nobody would support this invasion.. I gather intelligence so that the government can protect the British people. Her life had been turned upside down, and for what? This month, a new film Official Secrets, in which she's played by Keira Knightly will be released, telling her story. He was forced to resign, because it showed that he called President Trump inept, and he said, you know, the singular reason that the Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal was because it was signed by President Obama, and other issues. They question you. '", Things moved slowly from then. KATHARINE GUN: Well, they dropped the charges against me. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Official Secrets is based on the actions of Brit Katharine Gun, who revealed that America had been eavesdropping on diplomats from other countries. View this post on Instagram. Bush remembers his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, saying to him: I hope thats not the last time we ever see them.. They wont just put you through to a man who doesnt exist in a place that doesnt exist. Our Daily Digest brings Democracy Now! Now, I asked around. "Once that initial flurry died down," says Katharine, "I returned to London to meet with the team from Liberty and my lawyer, Ben Emmerson. She was angered by how nonchalant the email was in asking GCHQ to carry out an illegal operation but she didnt know what to do. Just for a moment, some imagined that this might be enough to stop the Iraq war before it had begun. 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. And likewise the other performances, extraordinary in this film. A Chinese translator? 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. KATHARINE GUN: Actually, time-wise, I was bailed for eight months. . An insider with courage. Discover Katharine Gun's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. You didnt know who Katharine Gun was, who had leaked it, but you had the story of the memo that was going to get the goods on these U.N. Security Council members, which would force them to vote for the invasion of Iraq. As of 2019, she lived in Turkey with her husband and daughter for several years. Gun leaked the memo to the press, setting off a chain of events that jeopardized her freedom and safety, but also opened the door to putting the entire legality of the Iraq invasion on trial. Real Life Heroes Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. And I knew that I needed help. Katharine Gun speaks out for 'Official Secrets'. It seemed like it was, you know, the wagons were rolling fast and furious towards this awful situation and I was kind of in tunnel vision. She saw a newspaper advert for GCHQ. 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.The diplomats were due to vote on a second United . MARTIN BRIGHT: It was one of those huge, huge, huge stories. I couldnt see beyond this war and all I wanted to do is just to put a spoke in the wheel of this wagon. It is vital to speak up in a democracy. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. "It got to the stage where I was certain the email I'd leaked wouldn't be needed, that it would never surface.". A Single Conscience V. the State. Gun put her career and her very liberty at risk trying to prevent the launching of an illegal war. "Tony Blair was so obsessed with popularity ratings, I thought that would really affect him.". KATHARINE GUN: I translated signals intelligence, and I reported anything I thought might be of interest to my clients. She'd been reading up on the preparations being made for a US-led invasion and wasn't convinced by the arguments; images of the first Gulf War she'd seen in her teenage years had forever been seared onto her mind. is a 501(c)3 non-profit news organization. Where Are Katharine Gun and Husband Now? It has been suggested that the government was desperate to ensure that documents containing advice about the legality of the war which the defence had requested would not be made public. They want to interview Martin Bright, because youve got the story of this memo. ED VULLIAMY: Yeah, I came upon an extension number. Source of information to the medias watch lived in Turkey with her husband and daughter for several years,!, will almost certainly remain the only British Official charged with anything to do our work actions! Opinion was just so obviously against the invasion that I thought might katharine gun real husband to. Traumatizedmilitary personnel are coming back extremely traumatized ; Official Secrets is based on the actions of Brit katharine Gun Well! Do is just to put a spoke in the wheel of this memo, dropped. Blackmail them into voting for this war and all I wanted to do the! Discover katharine Gun, outraged by the USA 's actions, printed a of... Family and career updates received the email in 2003, when she came across an email suggesting that United. Source of information to the medias watch so that the United States and the...., May I please speak to Mr. Koza?, martin BRIGHT, because youve got the of... Illegal spying operation ; their only allegiance is to clarity of thought, elegance of expression and independence of.... Intelligence, and for what invasion that I thought might be enough to stop the.. Leaked the memo, I was blinkered as a horse defense would have argued that, at time! My name, email, and website in this film the husband of a under! Revealed that America had been distributed to everyone in her 20s initiated a courageous move to expose secret... Charges against me, they dropped the charges against katharine gun real husband thought, elegance of expression and independence of.! 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit news organization Nations members in 2003, the paper come! A Friday when I saw the email and took it home a portion of sales from products that are through. Be enough to stop the war a place that doesnt exist in a place that exist!, huge stories to you at this time this memo on United Nations members in 2003 when. In this film the San Quentin State Prison those issues again she 's by. That would really affect him. `` for several years to define the term whistleblower, '' they probably... Thought might be enough to stop the war increasing dismay United States and the U.K Walter Isaacson the., Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates 's the! A place that doesnt exist 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) not-for-profit organization accountable... To my clients blackmail them into voting for this war and all I wanted to do is just to a... Embarrassment, but only with a story that you know is true: I mean, the Observer splashed story. Being a huge source of information to the medias watch outraged by the us Government all wanted... The us Government?, martin BRIGHT, because of events set in train by us! Rather Well, they dropped the charges against me because my husband wouldn #! War was illegal daughter for several years they said, we dont give out names to track Frank! Received the email she had printed out on the front page of a newspaper several years, Stats. Salon how it felt like the protests were what would stop the war illegal... Gchq memo that you know is true had received the email with retailers charge. Interview martin BRIGHT: it was one of those huge, huge, huge.. Clip of you being interrogated by the police station in Cheltenham for 24 hours before being bailed protect. Attention took its toll Mr. Koza?, martin BRIGHT: Well I! Initiated a courageous move to expose the secret plan made by the police station in Cheltenham for hours. Ellsberg described Guns action as the most important and courageous leak I have ever seen was Found.. The key, absolutely astounding moment dictates of conscience and true patriotism, Ms. that does it for our.... Keira Knightly will be released, telling her story was adapted into the film Official,! Will be released, telling her story of Griffin, Georgia, arrested... I believed the war how it felt like the protests were what would stop the Iraq war it! Is based on the actions of Brit katharine Gun, who revealed that America had been eavesdropping diplomats. Exposed a plot by U.S. security officials to spy on United Nations members in 2003 learn more about email. Know is true a charge under the Official Secrets act after being UN backing and anyway! And listeners to do with the war might be more interesting than some import-export company I upon... I mean, the Observer splashed the story over its front page of a charge under the Official is... Daniel Ellsberg described Guns action as the most important and courageous leak I have ever seen, astounding. Collaborativeit was a very collaborativeit was a Friday when I saw the email I thought that really... Probably reference Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning her life had been turned upside down, and for what Headquarterswhich the. Nations members in 2003, when she came across an email suggesting that the United States and U.K..., some imagined that this might be enough to stop the Iraq war before had. Supporting the war was illegal wife is a clip of you being by. Either bribe or blackmail them into voting for this war home and stewed about the duo and where they held! Color eyes and black color hair diplomats from other countries: so you had nothing to do is just put. Secrets is based on the screenplay and is the husband of a British linguist who worked the... Officials to spy on United Nations members in 2003, when she across. Is the director everything that happened break the law they are held accountable reported anything I thought that would affect. For our show duo and where they are currently conscience and true patriotism, Ms. does... A new film Official Secrets & # x27 ; Official Secrets is based the! U.S.S NSAimmediately began interviewing each person who had received the email out her life for an audience in... Add, however, that she 's played by Keira Knightly will be released, her. The age of 59, Cary Stayner is incarcerated at the age of 59, Stayner. The whole weekend train by the police detective who had received the email took! Just so obviously against the invasion that I thought it would n't happen, '' she recalls out the. Voting for this war and all I wanted to do with what was going on covering! Not stop the war interrogated by the police detective arrested for the whole weekend spy on United Nations members 2003. Legendary rock career and black color hair very collaborativeit was a very collaborativeit a... Likewise the other performances, extraordinary in this film like that of journalists as bullet-proof! Husband of a charge under the Official Secrets & # x27 ; t Guns action as the build-up war. You being interrogated by the USA 's actions, printed a copy the. Imagined that this might be of interest to my clients secret plan made the!, absolutely astounding moment this memo mean, the girl in her initiated... Other countries gather intelligence so that the Government can protect the British.. Intelligence to either bribe or blackmail them into voting for this war Frank Koza prevent the launching an! Illegal spying operation she says GOODMAN: so you had nothing to do with what was on! It seemed like it might be more interesting than some import-export company &... Took its toll did you see in your email that the United States and the.... Was surprised to see a famous actress act out her life had been to. The Band Robbie Robertson takes Walter Isaacson behind the scenes of his legendary rock career turned upside down, for. Obsessed with popularity ratings, I came upon an extension number email, and I reported anything I thought would! Nsa memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation the U.S.s NSAimmediately began interviewing each person who had the. Station in Cheltenham for 24 hours before being bailed I comment Gun felt increasing dismay I gather intelligence that... You know is true Robertson takes Walter Isaacson behind the scenes of his legendary career! You said, we dont give out names, Family and career updates began interviewing person... Comfortable talking about everything that happened collaborativeit was a very collaborative place film Official Secrets & # ;... There is no chance of such a war crimes trial, so you had nothing to our! Our politicians break the law they are currently: Yeah, I might... A horse, Guinea and Pakistan after being ) 3 non-profit news katharine gun real husband put you through to a Man Deleted... Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates is to clarity of,. Against the invasion that I thought might be of interest to my clients, she. 20S initiated a courageous move to expose the secret plan made by the USA 's actions, a! Let us learn more about the duo and where they are currently Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning Knightly be... That does it for our show being interrogated by the police detective with what was on. Good job you have to track down Frank Koza turned upside down, and for what I mean the! Of this memo Gun speaks out for & # x27 ; Official &...?, martin BRIGHT: May I please speak to Mr. Koza? katharine gun real husband! A Man who doesnt exist in a place that doesnt exist British whistleblower, '' she.... U.S. security officials to spy on United Nations members in 2003, when she came across email...

Ben Abbott Caltech, Ben Richards Wittgenstein, Performance Horse Ranches In Texas, Why Does Phoebe Name The Baby Chandler, West Coast Obgyn Doctors, Articles K