Fascinating Channel 4 News video with reporter Jonathan Rugman on the evolving history of MI6, the British Special Intelligence Services, including an interview with former MI6 "C" Sir John Scarlett. For the first time since its creation in the run-up to the First World War, Britain's secret intelligence service has allowed its secrets to be unveiled in an official history covering its first 40 years. Jonathan Rugman reports. This segment is ten minutes and 23 seconds.
Here's one of those many posts in Blogger Draft I was talking about earlier today that were just lingering on life-support, a fascinating report from late September that came on the heels of some very troubling news for MI6, with the death of an employee under very mysterious circumstances.
Here's the story from three weeks ago on the historic public appearance on TV by current MI6 "C" Sir John Sawers, the first public speech by a sitting Chief.
http://www.channel4.com/news/mi6-chiefs-historic-speech
Channel 4 News: MI6 chief speaks out on terror threat and torture
Story at http://www.channel4.com/news/mi6-chief-speaks-out-on-terror-threat-and-torture
See also: http://www.channel4.com/news/liveblog-mi6-chief-sir-john-sawers-speaks-live
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See this interesting blog post by Channel 4 Political Editor Gary Gibbon story on whether or not the end is near for 'control orders,'
http://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/could-it-be-the-end-for-control-orders/14032ns
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Sir John Sawers: profile of MI6 chief Described as a "smooth operator" and likened to Pierce Brosnan's portrayal of James Bond Sir John Sawers took up the post of head of MI6, known as "C", in November 2009. By Laura Roberts 10:22AM BST 28 Oct 2010
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8092322/Sir-John-Sawers-profile-of-MI6-chief.html
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If you don't recognize the tune at the beginning of this next video, being hummed by an animated early 1940's John Bull, followed by his trusty bull dog, it's the same one that's instantly recognizable by anyone of a certain age who ever listened to BBC Radio's World Service.
In my case, that was for years via my Radio Shack short-wave radio while studying at Indiana University in Bloomington, from 1979-'83, especially on weekend mornings, and more recently, digitally from Washington, D.C., Arlington County, VA and South Florida.
My recollection is that the tune was played after the time chirp and the intonation, "This is London," just before the news broadcasts began.
British WW2 Public Information Films - Collection Three, Part 1 of 3.
Central Office of Information
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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Special Operations Executive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
I previously mentioned it a few years ago on my other blog, South Beach Hoosier, soon to be revamped, but since many of you readers never saw that in the first place, I'll just mention here by way of circumstance that my family -and certain of my friend's relatives- have worked for U.S. intelligence agencies or in intelligence operations since George Washington was a Continental general fighting the British.
Here's a video tidbit that dovetails with the above stories.
BBC World Service idents over the years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
1945: BBC Radio announcement of Adolf Hitler's death http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyZICBPh0wc
Gary Gibbon's blog: http://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/
Channel 4 News Catch Up service for the past 7 days:
http://www.channel4.com/news/catch-up/
Channel 4 News homepage: http://www.channel4.com/news/
