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.comVienna to arrange an urgent meeting to discuss details <strong>of</strong> the contract.<strong>The</strong>y arranged to meet two days later in the lobby <strong>of</strong> the Hilton incentral Amsterdam. <strong>The</strong> transcript showed that Fahd intended to give hersome more documentation concerning the components for the plant.Badger leaped at the opportunity. If we could eavesdrop on theconversation, we could learn about Fahd's intentions and the state <strong>of</strong>the Iranian chemical weapons programme. More important, though, werethe documents. A detailed look at the plans for the plant would beinvaluable. Badger ordered the whole PTCP section to drop whatever elsethey were doing and get cracking on this urgent task.Kiddie planned to fly in and out <strong>of</strong> Stansted airport, near her home inCambridgeshire, to Schipol airport. Badger got on to Customs and Exciseat Stansted and arranged for her to be searched on her return to theUK. To avoid arousing her suspicion, Customs suggested searching allthe other passengers and placing an undercover <strong>of</strong>ficer in the queue toplant a rumour that they were looking for drugs.Listening into the meeting in the hotel lobby would be more difficultand would require the cooperation <strong>of</strong> the Dutch secret service.Fortunately, the BVD (Binnenlands Villigheidsdienst) is one <strong>of</strong> MI6'sclosest allies overseas. <strong>The</strong>y are regarded as reliable and efficient,and will usually drop everything to help MI6 on an urgent job. MI6 isstill a powerful player in the hierarchy <strong>of</strong> world intelligenceservices, so smaller services scurry to help out where they can,knowing that it will give them leverage to request a returned favour ata later date. Badger sent a FLASH high-priority telegram to the MI6station in <strong>The</strong> Hague and got the wheels turning immediately.<strong>The</strong> junior MI6 <strong>of</strong>ficer in <strong>The</strong> Hague station, HAG/2, drove over toAmsterdam with the BVD liaison <strong>of</strong>ficer to check out the possibilities<strong>of</strong> bugging the meeting. Walking into the Hilton lobby, they found alarge fountain in the centre <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> tables, chairs and s<strong>of</strong>asand HAG/2 realised that it would be difficult to get a good-qualityaudible `take' <strong>of</strong> the meeting. <strong>The</strong>re was no way to predict which tableKiddie and Fahd would sit at, bugging every table would be expensiveand time-consuming, and the sound from the fountain was just the sort<strong>of</strong> gentle white noise which is excellent for swamping microphones tunedto pick up distant conversations. <strong>The</strong>se problems did not daunt theenergetic BVD, however. <strong>The</strong>y pulled out all the stops to put into placea complicated and labour-intensive operational plan.Any guest <strong>of</strong> the Amsterdam Hilton hoping to enjoy a nice lunch in thelobby on Tuesday, 7 February 1995 was in for a disappointment. <strong>The</strong>attractive fountain was turned <strong>of</strong>f, a prominent sign announcing that itwas shut down `for maintenance', and most <strong>of</strong> the lobby was closed downwith rope barriers for `essential cleaning'. As with most Hiltonsworldwide, the hotel security manager was an agent <strong>of</strong> the local secretservice. <strong>The</strong> BVD asked him to temporarily rearrange the lobby, where asingle vacant table was wired for sound. A couple <strong>of</strong> `businessmen'occupied it to stop it being taken by incidental passers-by and all theremaining tables were filled with other businessmen, all BVD and MI6<strong>of</strong>ficers, amongst them Badger, HAG/2 and a couple <strong>of</strong> other members <strong>of</strong>the PTCP section. Everything was in place as Kiddie touched down. Shewas tailed as she took the shuttle bus into central Amsterdam.page- 131 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version <strong>of</strong> this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com