Top British spy delivers 1st public speech

[October 28, 2010]  LONDON (AP) -- Britain's foreign spy agency chief stepped out of the shadows Thursday, becoming the first director of MI6 to give a public address, on a topic tinged with irony -- the need for secrecy.

MI6 chief John Sawers, also known by the code name "C," said that though Cold War-era secrecy had lifted and intelligence agencies were working to become more accessible -- the Secret Intelligence Service didn't even officially exist until 1992 -- keeping intelligence material secret was vital to protect people against growing terror threats.

"Secrecy is not a dirty word. Secrecy is not there as a cover up," Sawers told a group of senior journalists. "Without secrecy there would be no intelligence services, or indeed other national assets like our special forces. Our nation would be more exposed as a result."

The unprecedented speech comes after the release of some 400,000 leaked intelligence documents from the start of 2003 US-led Iraq war, and before an inquiry looking into whether MI6 and other intelligence agencies could have been complicit in the torture of terror suspects. Sawers denied those allegations Thursday.

"If we know or believe action by us will lead to torture taking place, we're required by UK and international law to avoid that action. And we do -- even though that allows terrorist activity to go ahead," he said, adding that in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks MI6 had not been accused of "torture ourselves but out of being too close to it in our efforts to keep Britain safe."

Sawers welcomed the government inquiry, but outlined the anguished choice that spies had to make when faced with intelligence potentially tainted by abuse.

"Suppose we received credible intelligence that might save lives, here or abroad. We have a professional and moral duty to act on it," he said. "We also have a duty to do what we can to ensure that a partner service will respect human rights. That is not always straightforward.

"If we hold back, and don't pass that intelligence, out of concern that a suspect terrorist may be badly treated, innocent lives may be lost that we could have saved ... Sometimes there is no clear way forward."

[Associated Press; By PAISLEY DODDS]

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