Wikileaks: Top UK Civil Servants Secretly Contradict Gordon Brown's Public Statement

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In summary, leaked US embassy cables reveal that two senior Whitehall officials, Richard Freer and Judith Gough, assured US diplomats that the renewal of Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent would go ahead, contradicting former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's public statements proposing disarmament. The officials claimed that there was no actual change in British nuclear policy and that the UK would continue to have a close relationship with the US in terms of the Trident replacement scheme. The cables also suggest that Wikileaks may not be as US-centric as believed.
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Mathnomalous
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Last one for the night. Here is a clear example of a government saying one thing, with the intention of secretly doing the exact opposite. Very troublesome when the Prime Minister of a nation can be overruled by subordinates.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/08/wikileaks-cables-trident-nuclear-us?intcmp=239

The Guardian said:
Two senior Whitehall officials assured US diplomats that the renewal of Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent would go ahead, apparently contradicting then prime minister Gordon Brown's public statements proposing some disarmament by the UK, according to leaked US embassy cables.

The London embassy sent a secret cable back to Washington last autumn reporting conversations with the two civil servants, Richard Freer and Judith Gough, in which they cast doubt on the significance of Brown's announcement at the UN general assembly that Britain might cut the number of planned new Trident submarines from four to three.

It is not clear from the cables whether or not the Britons were speaking to the Americans on Brown's authority. In the dispatches, US embassy officials describe them as "HMG [Her Majesty's Government] sources" and mark that their identities should be protected.

According to the leaked cables, US anxiety about the future of Britain's Trident missiles followed Brown's speech at the UN in September 2009 on global nuclear disarmament.

In London, Freer and Gough told the Americans that Brown's words came as a surprise to them because there was no actual change of British nuclear policy under way. There would continue to be "no daylight" between the US and the UK on the existing £20bn Trident replacement scheme, the Americans were assured.

Wikileaks is not as US-centric as we are being led to believe.
 
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Yes, prime minister!
 

What is Wikileaks?

Wikileaks is an international non-profit organization that publishes classified and confidential information from anonymous sources. It was founded in 2006 by Julian Assange and has released numerous documents related to government and corporate misconduct.

What is the significance of the "Wikileaks: Top UK Civil Servants Secretly Contradict Gordon Brown's Public Statement" document?

This document, released by Wikileaks in 2009, revealed that top UK civil servants had privately contradicted then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown's public statements about the UK's involvement in the Iraq War. This raised questions about the government's transparency and credibility.

How did Wikileaks obtain this information?

Wikileaks relies on anonymous sources to submit confidential documents. These sources may be whistleblowers, journalists, or other individuals with access to sensitive information. Wikileaks then verifies the authenticity of the documents before publishing them.

What impact did this document have?

The release of this document sparked controversy and led to further scrutiny of the UK government's actions during the Iraq War. It also raised concerns about the protection of whistleblowers and the need for government transparency.

Has Wikileaks faced any legal consequences for publishing this document?

Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange have faced legal challenges and criticism from governments for publishing classified information. In the case of this document, the UK government sought to block its publication, but Wikileaks successfully fought against this censorship. However, Assange is currently facing extradition to the US for other documents published by Wikileaks.

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