The Big Breach - Index of

The Big Breach; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments of http://www.192.comBritain spends on MI6 not be spent better elsewhere, on healthcare oreducation?'A flicker of a smile crossed McColl's lips. `Ah, young man, youoverlook the fact that we are still on the United Nations SecurityCouncil, unlike Germany and Japan. Britain has internationalresponsibilities much greater than its economic wealth might suggest.'McColl beamed at us avuncularly, thanked us for our attention, wishedus well for our future careers and we stood as he got up and left.Ball and Long glowed with relief. We had acquitted ourselves wellbefore the Chief - nobody had asked him a dumb question. The progressof an IONEC was closely followed by senior officers, and its success orotherwise was reflected on the subsequent careers of the DS. Ball andLong knew they had a good class. Ball resumed. `You will all haveplenty of time to get to know us and each other over the next sixmonths, and you will no doubt form a bond which will last throughoutyour careers,' he smiled as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.`But to break the ice, get the ball rolling, so to speak, we'd like youto go round the table, just giving your name and saying a few wordsabout what you did before joining.' He surveyed us and I hoped that hewould not pick me out first. `Let's start with you, Terry,' he finallysaid, pointing to Forton.Forton, 24 years old, was the most thoughtful student on the course. Hecame from a liberal, academic family and was deeply interested inpolitics. He read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at OxfordUniversity and would probably have got a first if he had spent lesstime in the college bar. After graduation, he worked for a couple ofyears for Oxford Analytica, a political consultancy, before applying tojoin the FCO. During the application process one of the FCO recruiterssuggested that he consider joining MI6 instead. Forton accepted theinvitation very much against the wishes of his father, a vehementopponent of secrecy in government.Andrew Markham was the youngest on the course at 23 years old. Hestudied French and Spanish at Oxford. An energetic undergraduate, hehad been involved in amateur dramatics and had also been a bit of astar on the sports field.Andy Hare, 34, graduated from Durham University, joined the army andserved as an intelligence officer. He looked familiar to me as hespoke. `I finished my army career seconded as the Adjutant to one ofthe Territorial Army Special Air Service regiments where the young manopposite me ...' - he nodded at me - `... was one of my troopers.' Iremembered him now, giving me a dressing-down on the Brecon Beacons onedrizzly winter night for talking on parade. He explained how an armyofficer at Sandhurst had put him in touch with the service. MI6 has apermanent army `talent spotter' based at Sandhurst Royal MilitaryCollege, codenamed ASSUMPTION. Another talent spotter, also based atSandhurst and known by the codename PACKET, looks at the college'sforeign cadets and provides MI6 with tips as to which might be suitableinformers. Famously, in the 1960s the then PACKET tried to recruit ayoung Libyan cadet called Mohammar Gadaffi.James Barking, 26, read law at Oxford and received a second-classdegree. He was articled to a city law firm for a few years but didn'tpage- 30 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version of this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com