29 Sept 2009

Blackmail by spooks exposed

An unprecedented public meeting in Camden on Wednesday will condemn the role of the British secret service in the blackmail and intimidation of British citizens and asylum-seekers in a bid to turn them into informers.

For decades, MI5 has blackmailed and threatened individuals it believes may be in a position to spy on their communities, but the practice, although well-known in certain communities, has not been widely reported.

mi5logoThe meeting follows the brave step taken by five British Muslim community workers from London to blow the whistle on MI5's attempts to recruit them through coercion and intimidation.

Now, a number of community and campaign groups have joined together to expose the spooks and urge others who have suffered similar experiences to come forward.

Les Levidow of CAMPACC told the Star: "We had known about systematic blackmailing by MI5 going back decades through our work with the Kurdish community, who continue to be targeted in this way, especially in the case of refugees. Our only surprise was that anyone had gone public about it."

Morning Star