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Britain
Top British Army aide accused of spying for Iran
2006-12-21
A military aide to the commander of British forces in Afghanistan appeared in court yesterday accused of spying.

Cpl Daniel James, 44, is charged under the 1911 Official Secrets Act with "prejudicing the safety of the state" by passing information "calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to the enemy". It was said he had communicated with a "foreign power" in the incident on Nov 2, believed to be Iran.

Most of the hearing at Westminster magistrates' court yesterday was held in secret and no mention was made of James's job or his address.

But The Daily Telegraph has learned that he acts as an interpreter for Gen David Richards, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan and one of the most senior officers in the Army.

If the trial goes ahead, it will be the first espionage prosecution under Section 1 of the 1911 Act for a generation. The last involved Michael Bettany, an MI5 officer who was jailed for 23 years in 1984 for passing information to the Soviet Union.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#14  Make him rassel the bear, lol.
Posted by: .com   2006-12-21 14:28  

#13  Since he's on the Frontier, I recommend Frontier Justice ala Judge Roy Bean.
Posted by: doc   2006-12-21 14:25  

#12  He lives in a £800,000 house in Brighton? Now we know his motivation for passing documents along ...
Posted by: Steve White   2006-12-21 11:08  

#11   #7 Cpl Daniel James

It doesn't appear that ethnicity was the issue in this case, ed. I'd vote for a good bribe, or spitefulness.

"James is of Iranian descent and speaks fluent Pashtun,"
Posted by: tipper   2006-12-21 10:35  

#10  Ah, Daniel James is his English name, then. Like those Chinese and Korean kids named Bobby and Sue Ann. Thanks for catching what I missed, guys!
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-12-21 09:41  

#9  James is of Iranian descent and speaks fluent Pashtun, the main language in Afghanistan, making him invaluable to the Army which is very short of translators.

Neighbours at his £800,000 house in Brighton, said his mother speaks only Farsi, the main language of Iran.
Posted by: ed   2006-12-21 09:28  

#8  TW, all indications are that the he/his family changed the familial patrinomic.
Posted by: mrp   2006-12-21 09:23  

#7   Cpl Daniel James

It doesn't appear that ethnicity was the issue in this case, ed. I'd vote for a good bribe, or spitefulness.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-12-21 09:16  

#6  Ethnicity trumps nation.
Posted by: ed   2006-12-21 08:56  

#5  Petrodollars rule!
Posted by: gromgoru   2006-12-21 07:15  

#4  Hang him.
Posted by: Excalibur   2006-12-21 07:00  

#3  That certainly explains their progress in negotiations!
Posted by: Zenster   2006-12-21 06:17  

#2  Hang him in the Tower of London like the good old days!!!!
Posted by: Ebbolump Glomotle9608   2006-12-21 04:52  

#1  Not good. He was an interp for a General. Vett faster please
Posted by: Dunno   2006-12-21 01:20  

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