- Britain was given a full outline of an illegal coup plot
in a vital oil-rich African state, including the dates, details of arms
shipments and key players, several months before the putsch was launched,
according to confidential documents obtained by The Observer.
-
- But, despite Britain's clear obligations under
international
law, Jack Straw, who was personally told of the plans at the end of
January,
failed to warn the government of Equatorial Guinea.
-
- The revelations about the coup, led by former SAS officer
Simon Mann and allegedly funded in part by Sir Mark Thatcher, son of the
former Prime Minister, will put increasing pressure on the Foreign
Secretary
to make a full statement in Parliament about exactly what the UK government
knew of the putsch and when they knew it.
-
- This weekend in a statement, the Foreign Office said:
'We do not comment on intelligence issues. But ministers and officials
in the FCO acted promptly on receipt of relevant information.' Last week,
The Observer reported that Straw ordered a change to evacuation plans for
British citizens in Equatorial Guinea after receiving news of the
coup.
-
- Officials added that Straw and African minister Chris
Mullin were personally told of the plot on Friday 30 January.
-
- In December 2003 and January 2004 two separate, highly
detailed reports of the planned coup, from Johann Smith, a former commander
in South African Special Forces, were sent to two senior officers in
British
intelligence and to a senior colleague of Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence
Secretary, according to the documents seen by The Observer.
-
- The new claims raise questions about Straw's recent
parliamentary
answers in the Commons. In August officials flatly denied any prior
knowledge
of the plot, but earlier this month Straw was forced to admit that the
government was informed in late January. On 17 November he admitted his
department had received 'confidential information' on the plan, but played
down its significance, saying in a parliamentary answer that the reports
contained nothing that 'significantly' added to rumours of a possible coup
reported in the Spanish media.
-
- However, the documents seen by The Observer gave names
of many of the South African mercenaries involved in the coup who have
now been sentenced for their roles. Most significantly, the January report
warned: 'These actions are planned to take place in mid-March 2004.' The
alleged plotters were arrested on 7 March en route to Equatorial
Guinea.
-
- The reports passed to UK intelligence and marked strictly
confidential concluded: 'Knowing the individuals as well as I do, this
timeline is very realistic and will provide for for ample time to plan,
mobile, equip and deploy the force.'
-
- The revelations of Britain and America's prior knowledge
of the plan to topple the oppressive regime of President Teodoro Obiang
raises questions about whether they ignored clear UN conventions designed
to protect heads of state against violent overthrow. There have also been
claims that western government were keen to see regime change in the
oil-rich
state because it suited their strategic and commercial interests.
-
- Smith last week gave a statement to lawyers acting for
the government of Equatorial Guinea. He had been tipped off about the coup
by two former military colleagues who were recruited to overthrow Obiang
by Nick du Toit, a mercenary who was last week given a 34-year jail
sentence
for his role in the coup,
-
- In his statement, seen by The Observer, Smith said: 'I
considered it my duty to warn the authorities in the US and England because
some of their nationals might be killed. I submitted a report in December
2003 of what I had discovered to Michael Westphal of the Pentagon [in
Rumsfeld's
department]. I expected the US government to take steps to warn Equatorial
Guinea or to stop the coup. This was also my expectation as regards the
British government which I warned through two SIS [Secret Intelligence
Service, i.e. MI6] people I knew, and to whom I sent the report by email,
also in December 2003 to their personal email addresses.'
-
- In January Smith received more detailed information about
the plot from former colleagues. He said: 'After preparing and sending
my December report I received further information ... and put this in a
second report which I sent by email to the same people as the first one:
Michael Westphal of the US and British SIS contacts.'
-
- Smith gave his statement after being detained in the
state's capital, Malabo, on the order of the country's national security
officer.
-
- Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Ancram said he will
be calling on Straw to make a full statement in parliament.
-
- 'This raises more questions regarding the accuracy of
the information given by the Foreign Office,' he said. 'The more they fail
to give straight answers, the more suspicions are raised.'
-
- Smith, who claims he has received death threats since
the plot was thwarted, said there was no response from British or US
authorities
to his warnings: 'The only thing that happened was that the US authorities
froze the Equatorial Guinea money with the Riggs Bank in USA.'
-
- Westphal, the Pentagon adviser who received Smith's
report,
is one of Rumsfeld's most trusted lieutenants. The former marines officer
is currently the Pentagon's deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence in charge
of special operations and combating terrorism and was previously
responsible
for African affairs.
-
- Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited
2004
-
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/equatorialguinea
- /story/0,15013,1361342,00.html
|
