The Big Breach: From Top Secret to Maximum Security
Richard Tomlinson
Language: English
Pages: 320
ISBN: 1903813018
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Richard Tomlinson was recruited by MI6, the British foreign intelligence service, during his senior year at Cambridge University. He quickly gained the trust and confidence of one of the world's most effective intelligence organisations. MI6 relied on Tomlinson to smuggle nuclear secrets out of Moscow, to run an undercover operation in Sarajevo while the city was under siege, and to infiltrate and dismantle a criminal group that sought to export chemical weapons capabilities to Iran.
Four years after joining MI6, Tomlinson's career was abruptly terminated for reasons that are still unclear. When he tried to fight the unjust dismissal, government accused him in breaching the Official Secrets Act and imprisoned him in one of the Britain's toughest maximum security prisons.
Following his release, MI6 kept up its pressure, hounding Tomlinson, launching a smear campaign in the international press, and pressuring its allies around the world to illegally arrest and expel him.
The British intelligence service has used threats of legal action to force publishers in several European countries to abandon plans to publish this book.
her accent, was in her early 40s and pictures of her young family were displayed on her desk. She introduced herself as the Australasian non-fiction editor for Transworld and related some of her previous career as a journalist first in New Zealand and then with the prestigious Sydney Morning Herald. Over the next hour we discussed the bones of my story and I threw in a few anecdotes to highlight interesting points. I was careful to disguise names, dates and operational detail. Martyn didn't make
`Sorry, I don't smoke,' I replied quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence. `Lucky bastard,' he replied. `You're far better off in jail if you don't smoke. And even better off if you don't do drugs.' His chuckle at his self-deprecation was cut short by a spasm and for a moment I thought he was going to throw up. `Tomlinson, come here,' the tattoed officer who had first christened me `Basildon' barked from the exit door. I stood up and made my way to him, leaving my tray on the table.
me, inspired by the films of Jacques Cousteau. After I had qualified with the university club, Easter holidays were spent in Cornwall diving on the wrecks and reefs of the murky, cold Channel waters, then getting drunk in the evenings on the strong local brews of the old fishing and smuggling villages. It was nothing like the paradises portrayed in Cousteau's films, but was still exhilarating. The summer holidays of 1982 were spent travelling around Europe on a rail-pass that allowed unlimited
nerve to put in a flyleaf dedication to Nick Long, the inspiration for Tango, a spy-caper set in Latin America. `Take a seat, UKA/7.' Judd addressed me formally by my job designation rather than first name, perhaps to underline his status. `That CX report you wrote about Tory Party funding' - Judd nodded to my report lying on his desk - `I'm afraid we can't possibly issue it. If it leaked out, it could bring down the government.' `So?' I replied. `It's not MI6's job to interfere with the
hour or so into the meeting, Kiddie suggested that I should meet Fahd. `I've been struggling for months with this project, getting nowhere,' she continued. `I'm also really busy with my charity work and I've had enough of travelling. It would be great if you could help out.' `Sure,' I replied, trying to sound cautiously enthusiastic. `How should we proceed?' `If you like,' Kiddie replied, `I'll ring him right now and you can talk to him - he told me he would be in Tehran this week.' She