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7 June 1999

    Date: Mon, 07 Jun 1999 09:19:56 -0400
    From: Pharaoh Chromium 93 <pc93[at]cwix.com>
    Subject: int. w/ tomlinson
    To: jya[at]pipeline.com

    June 2, 1999 Interview w/ Richard Tomlinson
    conducted by Pharaoh Chromium 93

    PC93: Can you fill us in on any of the latest developments in
    regards to the British governments actions and Net censorship
    campaign against you? What are they doing right now that you are
    aware of?

    Richard Tomlinson: It seems that the British police are not taking
    any action against me, as they realise that I was not responsible
    for the list. However, MI6 are continuing to do everything they can
    to cause me legal problems around the world. Their latest move is
    to file charges against me in NZ.

    PC93: The British governments assertions that you had released
    100's of names of SIS MI6 agents on your GeoCities website was
    patently false, yet they successfully stopped you from being able
    to have a webpage telling your story by making such a claim. This
    has occurred on two such occasions. What are your thoughts on this
    attempt at Net censorship? What do you plan on doing about it? or
    what do you think should be done about it?

    RT: Yes, this is quite true. They used all the fuss about the list
    as an excuse to take down my website. I think that they just
    objected to me criticising them in my site. My site contained
    nothing illegal. I could challenge the injunction against me in the
    Swiss courts, but I have decided not to do this because I can't
    afford the legal fees. I guess if some philanthropist stepped in to
    pay my fees I would do it, but the unfortunate reality is that the
    UK government has unlimited legal funds whereas I do not.

    PC93: I am interested in knowing (that is if you are "allowed" to
    speak to such questions)--Do you need any assistance? If so what is
    your message to those who may be interested in helping?

    RT: I have really appreciated all those people who have mirrored my
    site worldwide. I think that this is the best way of helping. It
    shows that the freedom of speech provided by the Internet is far
    more powerful than the outdated secrecy laws of a minor state. I
    think it will also force countries like China and Malaysia to
    rethink their internet censorship laws.

    PC93: Being that the ability to communicate freely has been and is
    now part of a widely accepted paradigm among those of intelligence
    in the Net community has anyone approached you in regards to
    providing site space so that you can be able to tell your story and
    communicate freely?

    RT: Yes, many people have offered to host my site. I have been
    reluctant to take up their offers just at the moment, but as soon
    as my legal position has become calmer I intend to put my site back
    up.

    PC93: There has been death threats, etc. and apparently a
    publication or newspaper (Sun Times?) encouraged people to write
    you electronically -- more than likely resulting in such threats
    occuring by suggesting that you were a traitor? What did they say?
    What are your thoughts?

    RT: Some of the mail I received after the Sun published my address
    was unpleasant and some really quite frightening. However, I
    thought it interesting that despite the Sun's hostile and one sided
    article, I still received more messages of support than criticism.
    I guess that that says a great deal about MI6's lack of public
    support in Britain.

    PC93: Is it true that you are in hiding? or is this an unfounded
    rumor? Aren't you now essentially in exile because of the British
    Government? You no longer can move freely between countries in the
    world. Can you fill us in on some details? What are your thoughts?

    RT: I am not really in hiding - just keeping a low profile. I
    certainly find the restrictions on my movement very irksome. I am
    banned from France, USA and Australia, and dare not move from
    Switzerland for the moment for fear of being arrested elsewhere.
    MI6 are able to cause me these problems by using their liaison with
    friendly foreign intelligence agencies. Unfortunately there is
    nothing I can do about this as MI6 are not legally accountable.

    PC93: Do you think that certain elements in the British government
    were and are really more afraid because of the information that you
    had on your website in regards to the death of Dodi Fayed and
    Princess Diana? i.e. the similarlity of what happened with a
    proposed plan to assassinate Slobodan Milosevic in 1993?

    RT: I am not sure. I suspect that they are more concerned that I am
    demistifying intelligence work and so diminishing their
    budget-negotiation power in Whitehall.

    PC93: You wrote a book which the British Government attacked you
    for and ultimately prevented you from publishing? Is this the case?

    RT: Yes. Indeed I was jailed for it!

    PC93: What was the British Government afraid of in that book?
    Wasn't it because of the contents of the book that you were jailed
    under the pretense of violating the Britain's Official Secrets Act?
    What are your thoughts, etc.?

    RT: My book contained nothing damaging, as I changed all the
    details. It was closer to a novel than a biography. They basically
    wanted to make sure that I didn't make any money - hence their
    strenuous efforts to block it.

    PC93: The British government has so far, in your case, been able to
    avoid accountability in judicial matters (industrial tribunal?),
    etc. by invoking the arguments of what in the US would be called
    "National Security" issues, that agents lives would be endangered
    by them appearing in court, etc. this in regards to a proceeding
    you had against them in the past in which they had dismissed you
    for no apparent cause. What is the story behind this? How has it
    panned out? And ultimately what would you like to see happen?

    RT: Yes, this is true. These arguments that "agents lives would be
    endangered" are really absurd. If that were really the case, how
    come they went to court to prosecute me? Just as in the USA, the
    government here abuses the secrecy laws by applying them
    selectively. It's one rule for them, and another for everybody
    else. It is this sort of hypocrisy that really makes me angry!

    PC93: Any further issues that have not been covered or commentary?

    RT: No, I think that's it!

    PC93: Thank you very much.

    ---
    Notes:

    Shayler says: Official Secrets Act was 'incompatible with the
    European Convention on Human Rights'.

    'The act is so wide in its scope it allows full control to the
    state. It falls well below the democratic standards and traditions
    of the UK.' The French Government has signed a new EU Convention
    which ends the notion of 'political' crimes in Europe.