December 29, 2023		INDEX
What follows is an exceedingly odd report from a publication called bnn. It is odd, to me at least, because from what I understand Bettaney was nabbed as a result of an MI6 operation involving a Soviet spy called Oleg Gordievsky. You can find this story on the MI5 web site, though it doesn't seem to mention MI6. Similar stories appeared in Microsoft Start and the Daily Mail Online
Bettaney report was too sensitive to show to MI6
Unveiled Archives Reveal Thatcher's Move to Shield MI5 from MI6 Scrutiny By: Muthana Al-Najjar Published: December 29, 2023 at 1:58 am EST Newly declassified documents from the National Archives have shed light on a compelling episode of Cold War intrigue involving the United Kingdom's secret services. The files reveal how the domestic intelligence agency, MI5, went to extraordinary lengths to prevent its foreign counterpart, MI6, from accessing a comprehensive report on a rogue agent. This situation led to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher restricting the Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe's access to the document. A Spy in the Shadows The case at the heart of these revelations centers on Michael Bettaney, an MI5 spy who was sentenced to 23 years in prison in April 1984 for attempting to pass state secrets to the Soviet Union. The Security Commission's report about Bettaney's case highlighted a series of missed warning signs related to his risky behavior, which failed to raise alarm bells among his superiors. Bettaney tried various means to deliver sensitive information to the KGB, including dead letterboxes and embassy drop-offs. However, his efforts were ultimately in vain. His attempts to turn traitor were rebuffed by the Soviets, and he was arrested following a tip-off. Thatcher's Intervention It was in this context that Robin Butler, Thatcher's former principal private secretary, voiced concerns about MI6 gaining access to the report. Given the report's critical examination of the security service's handling of the Bettaney case, Butler worried that its full publication could lead to embarrassment within MI5. The documents reveal that Thatcher intervened personally to limit the report's use to Howe's 'personal use' only, effectively ensuring the report's contents would not be widely disseminated within the government or made public. Accountability and Oversight After the publication of a restricted version of the report in 1985, Thatcher held discussions with Home Secretary Leon Brittan about its severe criticisms. The Prime Minister emphasized the need for accountability within the intelligence services and insisted on a personal visit to MI5 to underscore this point. This is yet another reminder of the complex and covert world of international espionage and the critical role that oversight and accountability play in maintaining the integrity of our intelligence services.
INDEX Jonathan Brind	December 29, 2023