Bugs, bugged and special relationships

Published 27 November 2008

The Bible says, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" - as Tony Blair, a devout Christian, will know. After presiding over a significant increase in surveillance in his own country, he may have greeted reports that the United States bugged his private conversations with an ironic smile (impossible to know: his office was referring all calls to the White House as the news broke).

The story came from an interview with a former "communications intercept officer", David Mufee Faulk, on ABC News. He revealed that he had come across an intelligence database, called Anchory, which included material on Mr Blair and another supposed US ally, the then Iraqi president, Ghazi al-Yawer. So far, reaction this side of the pond has been muted. However, some of the exchanges, recorded at an intelligence base in Fort Gordon, Georgia, during 2003 and 2006, are said to be of an intimate nature, including "courting, wooing" and "pillow talk" between Mr al-Yawer and his fiancée, then an official in the interim government.

One wonders what intimacies in No 10 were overheard during those years. Did Mr Mufee Faulk pull back from his earpiece as Gordon Brown shouted to Mr Blair, "I can't believe a word you say any more"? Did the more prudish Americans reel at the foul-mouthed rantings of Alastair Campbell? And what of John Prescott? Was he heard describing George W Bush as "crap"?

There are suggestions that the eavesdropping was intended only to provide "entertainment for bored spies". Nonetheless, the image of the "shoulder- to-shoulder" alliance that Mr Blair did so much to forge with the Americans has been tarnished. One partner in the special relationship was clearly Big Brother.

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2 comments from readers

gnuneo
28 November 2008 at 03:06

well... considering GCHQ is now controlled by the yanks completely, and all communications get mirrored through there anyway, surely this is mere icing on the cake in terms of surveillance?

or is the personal "B'Liar spied on", more journalistically exciting than the more statistical "We are all spied on"?

even the soviet citizens had more privacy than we do.

writeon
28 November 2008 at 23:10

I was in London in the period prior to the attack on Iraq. One day, in bar in Soho, I overheard a conversation between a younger Englishman and an older American. Evesdropping is a professional habit of mine, that I try to control.

Listening to their conversation, I suddenly, for the first time, really understood the 'special relationship' between Britain and the United States; how false, tawdry and one-sided it was. A tart's relationship, trumpheted by Tony Blair over and over again, as something worthy and special, as he tried in vain to sell a rotten fish from his barrow to a sceptical public.

The younger man reminded me of Blair, though that could just have been antipathy, loathing and contempt on my part.

It wasn't so much a tragic scene, rather it was pathetic. A aging Soho rent-boy, passed his bloom, igratiating himself with his sugar-daddy, trying desparately to convince him his still 'rocked.' It was really a sad, sad, scene.

I wanted to give him a few quid just to shut him up and stop him degrading himself. Love and commerce can be very cruel. But I didn't. I'd heard enough. I just left them alone and went out into the fresh air. But I kept thinking about the 'special relationship' for the rest of the day.