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.comwell away from him. Echoing MI6’s spin, the FBI asserted that the bookwould reveal the identities <strong>of</strong> serving intelligence <strong>of</strong>ficers and wouldendanger the national security <strong>of</strong> the United States and the UnitedKingdom. <strong>The</strong> FBI also indicated that they had conducted surveillance <strong>of</strong>Steve U’s home and had monitored his telephone conversations Anastonished Steve U told the FBI to 'mind their own business'. <strong>The</strong> FBIlater requested meetings with Steve U’s wife and members <strong>of</strong> his family.Steve U finished his editing on October 23, 2000 and sent <strong>of</strong>f his finaldraft <strong>of</strong> the book to Moscow. On January 27, 2001, he received a letterfrom Jeffrey Smith, former Chief Counsel to the CIA and currently apartner at the Washington law firm <strong>of</strong> Arnold & Porter, acting oninstructions from the British government. Arnold & Porter was employedby former Secretary <strong>of</strong> State Henry Kissinger to harrass Seymour Hersch,a leading American investigative journalist, and has sued andthreatened litigation against other reporters who disclosed informationthat embarrassed government <strong>of</strong>ficials. <strong>The</strong> two-page letter threatenedboth civil and criminal action against him unless he withdrew from anyfurther involvement in the project. He was told that injunctions 'arecurrently in place in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and NewZealand prohibiting the publication <strong>of</strong> information relating to Mr.Tomlinson's employment in the Secret Intelligence Service. It is ourview that these injunctions are enforceable in the United States.' <strong>The</strong>letter went on to claim that 'United States law prohibits therevelation <strong>of</strong> the identities <strong>of</strong> secret intelligence <strong>of</strong>fices. See 50U.S.C. 421 (1991). This law may be applicable to the publication <strong>of</strong>the identities <strong>of</strong> British Secret Intelligence Officers and thereforecreates possible criminal liability in the United States.' <strong>The</strong>writer, Jeffrey Smith, ended by saying 'thank you in advance forunderstanding the seriousness <strong>of</strong> this matter'. Not surprisingly, SteveU understood it only too well.However, by that stage the printing in Moscow was nearing completion.Despite the inevitable delays attached to book publishing - and thiswas no exception - Kirill Chashin had a final pro<strong>of</strong> copy in his handby January 20. A few days later he received a telephone call from NickFielding at <strong>The</strong> Sunday Times in London. Telling Chashin that he wasdisappointed to hear <strong>of</strong> the delays he asked when the books would be ongeneral sale in Moscow. His newspaper was seeking to lift a 1996 HighCourt injunction against publication by them <strong>of</strong> extracts from the book;but in order to succeed they had to show that the book was alreadybeing distributed and in the public domain. He ended by askingChashin to contact the newspaper's representative in Moscow - MarkFranchetti.Chashin did so, and <strong>The</strong> Sunday Times journalist then arranged tocollect one <strong>of</strong> the 20 pro<strong>of</strong> books; the freelance photographer workingfor Sunday Times, Dmitri Beliakov, then went to his nearest book store,<strong>The</strong> English Book at 18 Kuznetsky Most Street, paid the owner to rentthe window space, put the book on display, and took pictures <strong>of</strong> it.Two days later, on January 23, the photograph was produced at theLondon High Court as evidence that the book was in the public domain.<strong>The</strong> court ruled that the book could be published once ‘widely availableelsewhere’ which was a slightly ‘inconvenient’ result. It meant that<strong>The</strong> Sunday Times, which was eager to serialise the book, had to requestChashin to also authorised relevant extracts from the book to bepublished on the Internet at www.thebigbreach.com.page- 240 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version <strong>of</strong> this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com