The Big Breach - Index of
The Big Breach - Index of
The Big Breach - Index of
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Big</strong> <strong>Breach</strong>; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments <strong>of</strong> http://www.192.comWhitehall customers the next morning. <strong>The</strong>reafter, there would be a hell<strong>of</strong> a storm. <strong>The</strong> Tory Party were already reeling from a series <strong>of</strong>funding scandals, fuelled by a vitriolic press campaign, and there wasno doubt that this report would be leaked by a Whitehall <strong>of</strong>ficial. Itmight even bring the government down, forcing another general election.But half an hour later such thoughts were interrupted by the PAX(internal phone system) ringing on my desk. `Hello, Richard, R/CEEhere. I'm afraid that CX <strong>of</strong> yours has been spiked. And H/SECT wants tosee you about it - go up and see him right now.' I dropped the phoneand urgently made for the lift to take me up to the 18th floor. H/SECTwas the personal secretary to the Chief, and if he wanted to see me itmust be about something very important indeed.Alan Judd carried a lot <strong>of</strong> clout in the <strong>of</strong>fice hierarchy. He had beenlargely responsible for drafting the new `avowal' legislation that wasdue to come into effect the next year and which would allow thegovernment formally to acknowledge the existence <strong>of</strong> MI6 for the firsttime. He was also well known in the <strong>of</strong>fice for the series <strong>of</strong>lighthearted novels that he had written about spying, his powerfulcontacts in Whitehall allowing him to side-step the normally strictrules that prevent MI6 <strong>of</strong>ficers from writing books about theirexperiences. He even had the nerve to put in a flyleaf dedication toNick Long, the inspiration for Tango, a spy-caper set in Latin America.`Take a seat, UKA/7.' Judd addressed me formally by my job designationrather than first name, perhaps to underline his status. `That CXreport you wrote about Tory Party funding' - Judd nodded to my reportlying on his desk - `I'm afraid we can't possibly issue it. If itleaked out, it could bring down the government.'`So?' I replied. `It's not MI6's job to interfere with the governance<strong>of</strong> the country, is it?'`Well,' replied Judd lugubriously, `there are other channels to reportthis sort <strong>of</strong> information.'`Such as?' I asked. We'd never had any other channel explained to us onthe IONEC.`<strong>The</strong> Chief has decided to issue it as a ``hot potato'', meaning that itwill go only to the Prime Minister. I want that CX report destroyed.'Judd handed over the paperwork that I was required to sign in order tohave the report <strong>of</strong>ficially struck <strong>of</strong>f the records. <strong>The</strong>re was no choicebut to sign, though I knew it was wrong. `And you're to talk to nobodyabout this report or this incident,' Judd threatened ominously as I wasgetting up to leave.Perhaps it was no coincidence that I got a phone call from the head <strong>of</strong>personnel department's secretary a few days later, informing me thatthey were removing me from UKA. `We've got an interesting overseasposting for you,' the secretary said. `PD/1 will give you the detailsat the meeting.' <strong>The</strong> good news <strong>of</strong> my first overseas posting wasexciting, but it was tempered by the fact that I would have to dealagain with Fowlecrooke, who had been appointed PD/1 after finishing asmy line manager in SOV/OPS.page- 105 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version <strong>of</strong> this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com