Official Secrets (2019) - full transcript

CLERK: "Katharine Teresa Gun,

"you are charged with an offence

"contrary to Section 1,
Subsection 1

"of the Official Secrets Act
of 1989

"and that you did knowingly
and intentionally

"disclose top secret
intelligence information

"contrary to the said act."

How do you plead?

Guilty or not guilty?

(BED CREAKING)

(KATHARINE LAUGHING)



YASAR: What?

KATHARINE:
The neighbors will hear.

YASAR: Let's move over.

Better?

Better.

FROST: (ON TV) And what about
the situation
of persuading the people?

Because it's very,
to put it mildly

uncomfortable to go to war
with 73% against.

TONY BLAIR:
If people are being asked
today do you support a war,

my answer to that
is we're not at war today.

I think especially,
obviously, if the UN pass

the second resolution,
as I believe they will

if the inspectors carry on
saying he's not cooperating,

I think public opinion
is in a different place.



When your correspondent
was saying

the war is inevitable,
war is not inevitable.

It depends on Saddam.

If he cooperates
with the inspectors,

if he says
how much material he's got,

if he cooperates fully
with them,

then the issue's over.

But he's not doing that
at the moment.

Bloody liar.

They're all bloody liars.

You know, actually,
I don't think they are.

I don't think the weapons
inspectors are lying.

This and international terrorism

are the two
big security threats.

YASAR: Want coffee?

No, thanks.

FROST: (ON TV) We were told,
we were given to understand

that what these inspectors
were gonna come up with was

evidence of weapons
of mass destruction,

chemical,
biological and nuclear.

What we know is that
he has this material.

Oh, my God,
we don't know that.
We don't know that.

I mean, he just keeps
repeating the lie.

You sure it's a lie?
Saddam's a psychopath.

Yeah, well, just because
you're the Prime Minister,

it doesn't mean you get
to make up your own facts.

FROST: (ON TV)
Do you think you have
the goods on him now?

TONY BLAIR:
I've got no doubt at all that
he's developing these weapons

and that he poses a threat.

KATHARINE:
Be at the cafe by 4:00.

I can fetch you at 5:00.

No, no, no. I was gonna
get the bus. I love you.

Love you.

(BOTH SPEAKING MANDARIN)

(LAUGHS)

(IN ENGLISH) Yes.

You know he has a place
in Devon.

He wants to
take me surfing
with his dog.

Is that a bad thing?

No, it's a great dog.

Okay.

When was the last time
you got away?

KATHARINE: Oh, don't know,
three or four weeks ago.

We went hiking in Yorkshire.

MI-YUNG: Oh. Shall we all
go hiking together?

KATHARINE:
Yeah, that would
be lovely. With the dog?

MI-YUNG: Mmm. (CHUCKLES)

Oh!

Oh, thank you.

I'm starving.

I've been here
since 5:00,

listening to
a Russian embassy staffer

trying to bribe
a North Korean defector

who's been downloading
some kinky shit.

Very arousing few hours.

You're disgusting.

(LAUGHS) It's for
the Queen and country.

MI6 thought the Korean
was one of ours.

I just proved he's not.

GCHQ, 1. MI6, 0.

FIONA: Katharine.

I need your Beijing report
for the Foreign Office.

They start trade talks
next week.

Yeah, on it.

(KEYBOARD CLACKING)

(MAN SPEAKING MANDARIN
ON AUDIO FILE)

(MESSAGE DINGS)

(READING)
"As you've likely heard by now

"the Agency is mounting a surge

"particularly directed at the
UN Security Council members

"minus US and Great Britain,
of course

"for insights as to how
membership is reacting

"to the ongoing debate RE Iraq.

"That means
a QRC surge effort to revive,

"create efforts against
UN Security Council members,

"Angola, Cameroon,

"Chile, Bulgaria and Guinea."

(SOFTLY) Andy.

Did you get this NSA e-mail?

Are the Yanks
really asking us
to dig up personal shit

on UN Security Council
delegates?

"They want
the whole gamut of info

"that could give
US policy makers an edge

"in obtaining results
favorable to US goals."

Christ, they wanna fix the vote.

"This effort will probably
peak in the middle
of next week

"following the Secretary
of State's presentation

"to the UN Security Council."

Powell's gonna argue for war.

And they're gonna
blackmail
the smaller nations

to make sure
they get it. Fuck.

Excuse me.
(CLEARS THROAT) Question.

FIONA: Yeah.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

Uh, this NSA memo,
our people approved it?

Yes, that's why
it's been forwarded.

The Americans want us
to help them get
a UN resolution for war?

By next week?

It's a joint UK/USA operation.

UKUSA. Right.
Got it.

Hey, (CLEARS THROAT)
ours not to reason why.

Everything good today,
Mrs. Archer?

Yes, thank you.
Very good.
Very, very good.

I'll see you again
tomorrow, yes?

Yes.

Thank you, dear.

YASAR: Hey.

Hey.

You okay?

Yeah, it's been a long day.

I need ten minutes.
Want something to eat?

No.

You working this weekend?

Could we go somewhere,
get out of town?

Sorry, janum,
I'll get next weekend
for sure.

REPORTER: (ON TV) A question
for the President if I may.

What is the status,
in your view,
of any second resolution?

Is it something
that you think is worth

spending time and energy
trying to assemble?

PRESIDENT BUSH:
Just let me reiterate
what I just said.

This is a matter of weeks,
not months.

Any attempt to drag
the process on for months

will be resisted
by the United States.

Can we watch something else?

No, no, this is important.

PRESIDENT BUSH:
Secretary Powell
will make a strong case

about the danger
of an armed Saddam Hussein

and he will also talk
about Al-Qaeda links.

Come on, there are
no credible links

between Saddam and Al-Qaeda.

PRESIDENT BUSH:
...really do portend
a danger...

I'll turn it off.

No, no, no, no, no.

Please, I need to watch this.

I need to know
what they're saying.

I mean, yes.
Yes, Saddam
is a dictator,

but he is not a religious nut.

I mean, why would
he risk arming Al-Qaeda

and have them
turn against him?
It doesn't make any sense!

Fine, but yelling at the TV

isn't going to make
any difference.

They can't bloody hear you.

Where you going?

To read a book.

PRESIDENT BUSH:
You see, my vision
shifted dramatically

after September 11.

I realized
the world has changed.

My most important obligation
is to protect

the American people
from further harm.

And I will do that.

Thank you all very much.

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

Love you.

Love you.

Don't forget
to check in
at the station.

What are you gonna do?

I don't know.
Read a book. (GIGGLES)

I'll be back
by 7:00 latest.

(CAR ENGINE STARTS)

Mr. Gun. Signing in?

YASAR: Yes, thank you.

(BELL BUZZES)

OFFICER: When will you know
if you can stay?

They don't say.

Could be weeks.
Could be months.

You never know
with immigration,
do you?

I know.

Thank you.

Hi, Jasmine, it's Kath.

Uh, are you around today?

I'd love to come and see you.

Kath.

KATHARINE: Hi.

Oh, come here.

KATHARINE: Hello.

Targeting who?

The UN Security Council.

Particularly
the non-permanent members

who could swing the vote
in favor of war.

Jesus.

Maybe it's time to quit.

You know, they say
if you stay at GCHQ

for more than five years,
you never leave.

I've still got two to go then.

So you've still
got a conscience.

(LAUGHS)

Are you still organizing
against the war?

Does GCHQ have a problem
with that?

What? No.

Give me your phone.

I've already
taken the battery out.

I called you from a payphone.

Sorry.

Go on.

I just thought...

...if I could get you
a copy of the memo,

then maybe you could get
somebody to look it over.

I don't know, a journalist,

someone
in the anti-war movement.

Look, if the press think
it's nothing, fine.

At least my conscience is clear.

Your conscience?

Kat, you're asking me
to collude in a breach

of the Official Secrets Act.
Some call that treason.

I am not trying to overthrow
my government.

I just think if someone
in the press saw it,

they might ask more questions
about what the Americans

are asking this country to do.

ANDY: Hey, Kat,
they're sending me
and Dan to London

to learn Farsi.

Wow, Farsi. Congrats.

How many languages now?

Eight.

She's a freakin' super spy.

FIONA: Andy, where's
my Pyongyang report?

Ah, one more hour.

FIONA: Yeah, just get it done.

When do you leave?

Two weeks.

You'll have to come visit me.

(ZIP DRIVE WHIRRING)

(ZIP DRIVE BEEPING)

(PRINTER WHIRRING)

FIONA: Is that
the Foreign Office report?

Uh, it's a rough draft.

Well, finish it.

Defense section
needs extra hands.

I said I'd send you
over there this afternoon.

Okay, will do.

What we're giving you
our facts and conclusions

based on solid intelligence.

The issue before us
is not how much time

we are willing to give
the inspectors,

but how much longer
are we willing to put up

with Iraq's non-compliance
before we as a council,

we as United Nations say enough.

Enough.

We have first-hand descriptions

of biological weapons
factories on wheels
and on rails.

The trucks and train cars
are easily moved

and are designed to evade
detection by inspectors.

Although Iraq's
mobile production program

began in mid-1990s,

UN inspectors at the time
only had vague hints

of such programs.

Confirmation came later
in the year 2000.

The source was an eyewitness.

(DOOR OPENS)

An Iraqi chemical engineer

who supervised
one of these facilities.

Hi.

Hi.

I'm gonna watch some football.
Do you mind?

No. Go for it.

(CROWD CHEERING ON TV)

(GASPS)

REPORTER: From the north,
the south,
the east and the west,

from the left, the right

from the radical
to the uncommitted

they came.

(CROWD WHISTLING
AND SCREAMING)

Well, we can argue
forever about the
validity of opinion polls,

but what surely matters today

is that this proposed war
by Britain

is historically unpopular

and the mother of all
focus groups has descended.

Hey, Martin.
We're now doing
some real reporting.

It's huge.
Police are saying
over 500,000.

Organizers are saying
over two million.

So it will be a million then?

Well, it's everywhere.
Every country.

Biggest demonstration
in human history.

ED: Roger, I filed this story
seven times.

And seven times
I have told you
I'm not going to print it.

Ed, this paper supports the war.

Our sources support
the war, Kamal.

All I'm asking is that
mine be given equal time.

Fair enough.

Thank you.

ROGER: Well,
what do they say, Ed?

That intelligence
is being manipulated

to support an invasion
that Bush Junior's
been pushing for

ever since Saddam
tried to kill
his daddy in '93.

Oh, come on,
your source is retired.

My source is ex-CIA!

He talks to agents every day

and he's talking to me
on the record!

Named source! Christ!

If you're gonna encourage
a country to go to war,

perhaps you should spend
some time on
the front lines yourself!

ROGER: That is
a cheap shot, Ed.

ED: Is it?

We're the press, for God's sake,

not a fucking PR agency
for Tony Blair.

That's enough!

All right!

You, go back to the States.

I want you to find me
something from a source

who hasn't already retired

and then maybe I'll rethink it.

You're doing
a great job of it.
We just need some more.

Yes, Peter.
Fuck you very much.

And fewer words!

If I ask for 500,
don't send me 3,000!

This paper needs to take
its finger out of its arse

and stop taking
Tony Blair's press releases

at face fucking value!

MAN: Hear, hear.

WOMAN: Abso-fucking-lutely.

Christ!

MAN: You're too bloody right.

Brighty, where's my piece

comparing Saddam
to Milosevic?
I need 400 words.

Yeah. It's not really
a 400-word topic, Rog.

Yeah, it is. We have a right
to intervene in the Balkans.

We should do the same in Iraq.

Iraq's a little
more complicated.

You've got Suni and Shia...

Oh, fuck Sonny and Cher!

What is this?
"I got you babe?"

Just give me 400 words
the average reader
will understand.

Milosevic bad.
Saddam bad.

Just write a fucking story.
Stop overthinking it.

MAN: All right.

That was helpful.

Just write the piece
as you see it, Martin,

and we'll cut it down later
if we need to, all right?

Okay. Thank you, Peter.

(EXHALES)

Sonny and Cher.

(KEYBOARD CLACKING)

(PHONE RINGING)

Martin Bright.

YVONNE: (ON PHONE)
I've got something
you need to see.

It's big, Martin, really big.

MARTIN: Yvonne?

Yvonne?

(DOOR OPENS)

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

Martin. So good to see you.

In an underground car park?

It's a little Deep Throat,
don't you think?

There's no signal down here.

Right.

Wait till you see this.

Who gave you this?

YVONNE: Can't say.

There's no info
saying who sent it.

This could have been
written by anyone.

That's who wrote it.

Well.

Frank Koza.

Who the fuck is Frank Koza?

NSA.

And this I know
because the letters NSA

have been written on the back
with a leaky ballpoint.

My source says
the header wasn't printed

to protect the recipients
at GCHQ.

When did you get it?

Two weeks ago.

Two weeks?

I gave it to
The Mirror first.
Sorry.

Jesus. Why didn't
they run it?

They thought it was fake.

No shit.

Is your source NSA?

No. A friend of the recipient.

A good friend.

A friend of a friend?

A good friend
of a trusted friend.

I'm sure it's real.

Then why don't you
write the story?

Oh, come on, Martin.

I'm anti-war.
You're with The Observer.

Just check it out.

(LINE RINGING)

OPERATOR: (ON PHONE)
NSA Press Office.
How may I assist you?

Yes, hi, hello there.

This is Martin Bright
from The Observer in London.

Um, I'd like to arrange
an interview

with Mr. Frank Koza.

May I speak
to his office, please?

I'm sorry, Mr. Bright?

Martin Bright, yes.

Yes. Who did you wanna get?

Frank Koza, "Chief of Staff,
Regional Targets."

Mr. Bright, I'm afraid
we can't confirm

the names of people
who work here.

Could you give me
a little more detail

about the story
you're working on?

Uh, well, no.
That's something I need
to talk to Mr. Koza

about directly, I'm afraid.

Well, then I'm afraid
I'm not sure I can help you.

When you have a little
more detail

please feel free to call back.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

Yeah, well...

Hello?

You rang the NSA Press Office?

Yeah.

They have a press office.

I thought that was
a good place to start.

But you didn't
tell them anything?

No, Peter.
I just asked for Frank Koza.

Because if this is real,
you could go to jail

just for having it
in your possession.

MARTIN:
I'm not letting this go.
It's too good a story.

PETER: I agree,
but if you get it wrong

it will sink you,
it will sink the paper.

I'd like to get
a credible
intelligence expert

to offer a view on the language.

Yeah.

And I thought
you could run it by

your MI6 contact?

- I don't have a MI6 contact.
- Sorry.

I meant your tennis club friend.

Sure.

I'll take it
to Admiral Wilkinson.

Be careful.
Before we risk

a D-notice against publication

I'd actually like
confirmation
that Frank Koza exists.

Do you think it's authentic?

Well, certainly
the words he used,

"TOPI," for example,

few outside
of the security apparatus

would know what that means.

What does it mean?

Target of primary interest.

And this term,
"QRC surge effort,"

that's NSA military speak

for significant
intensification
of surveillance operations.

And this, where they ask
for "valuable information

"from accesses
in your product lines..."

...product lines
are intelligence sources.

So it's been written by someone

who's familiar
with security speak

but that doesn't mean
it's definitely NSA.

True, but there are
no obvious
amateur mistakes.

Have you heard of Frank Koza?

No.

Paul, if we, if we wanted
to confirm that he exists...

(CHUCKLES) Oh, sorry.
I couldn't help you do that.

Yeah, but if we wanted
to confirm that he...

Well, my own sources
wouldn't ever trust me again.

Understood.

Understood.

(PHONE RINGS)

What?

MARTIN: (ON PHONE)
Ed, Martin Bright.

Martin, Christ,
I just got back to DC.

Sorry, Peter and I
have something urgent

that we'd like to run by you.

Are you on speaker?

We are now. Hey...

Peter, you need to tell Roger
to publish what I'm filing.

This paper can't be seen
to be supporting a war

that we should be doing
everything in our power

to expose as a con.

A neocon.
A giant fucking con!

Ed, that's why
we're phoning.
We need your help.

We have something
that might corroborate

these things, you could say.

Hey. Sorry.

(LAUGHS)

Do you wanna get lunch?

What?

Lunch. Eat.
Now. Yes.

Oh, no, I'm fine, thanks.

Are you all right?

Yeah. Yeah. I'm good.

It, um...

This new BBC poll,
it says that less than
one in ten people

think it's right
to attack Iraq
without a UN resolution.

Which is why that
memo was sent.
They need to twist arms.

ANDY: I don't think
it will make any difference.

Most of the world
is against them.

You wanna eat, eat.

(LINE RINGING)

OPERATOR: (ON PHONE)
National Security Agency.
How may I direct your call?

Hello, I'm returning
Frank Koza's call.

My secretary said it was urgent.

OPERATOR: I'm sorry.
Who are you trying to reach?

Frank Koza.
Mr. Frank Koza.

Sir, I'm sorry, there's no one

by that name
in the directory, sir.

Oh, well, then that's odd.
He called me.

I'm sorry, but I'll need
an extension number.

Do you have an extension number?

Ah...

Nah.

Is there anything else
I can do for you?

No. No.

Thank you. Thank you.

You have a nice day, sir.

You too.

Fuck off.

PETER: So I read the weapons
inspector's report.

JACQUELINE:
Oh, congratulations.

That's more
than most MP's ever done.

Well, shit, that's depressing.

Mmm-hmm. It is.

Look, there are a few
pre-98 chemical weapons

we have yet to be
accounted for
but inspectors said

they found absolutely
no evidence

of an active chemical
or biological program.

Correct.

And yet Colin Powell presented

clear evidence of mobile labs.

His evidence may be based
on poor human intel

from an Iraqi dissident.

Really?

The dissident isn't our product

and should not be seen
as our product.

Whose product is he then?

Look, Peter, I didn't say this,

but there is concern
in certain quarters

that intelligence
may be being manipulated

to take this country to war.

So why don't you tell
your journalists

to stop being so bloody loyal
to Downing Street

and start doing their job?

Okay.

Okay, what if I had
evidence that the NSA

requested GCHQ
to help monitor
private communications

of the UN Security Council
delegates?

To what end?

Bluntly?

To blackmail them
into voting for war.

I'm not with GCHQ.

You're MI6,
you're on the same team.

How did you hear about this?

A UN resolution for war

would cover everyone's arse,
wouldn't it?

No more asking your team
to sex up evidence of WMDs

or the back-dodgy claims
that Britain was
about to be attacked

by Iraq within 45 minutes.

And no chance of anyone
being charged with a war crime

if it all goes tits up.

What are you asking me, Peter?

I'm asking if you can confirm

whether the NSA instructed GCHQ

to assist in spying
on Security Council
delegates?

You know I can't answer that.

To do so would put me
in breach of the
Official Secrets Act.

To deny it would not.

Well, I can neither confirm
nor deny.

Okay.

Let's play.

Change ends, idiot.

Yes.

Your serve.

ED: So the head of the CIA
tells Bush it's a slam dunk

that Saddam has weapons
of mass destruction.

A slam dunk.

Yes.

And that's not true?

No.

Meaning Saddam definitely
does not have weapons

of mass destruction
or he may not.

Meaning the intelligence
is sketchy at best

and manufactured at worst.

And Tenet knows that?

I've no doubt he knows that.

I was with the agency 24 years.

I can tell you,
folks over there
are really angry about this.

Why?

Why?

Because the majority
of the analysts do not believe

it's a slam dunk,
but no one wants to hear that.

Not even the press.

Sorry, Mel.

I'm sorry.

I'm just mad as hell.

Listen, I wanted
to talk to you today

because I think
I might finally be
onto something that...

...that really support
what you've been
saying for months.

I need to talk to a man
called Frank Koza.

He's NSA.

Head of Regional Targets.

You know him?

I'm sorry, Ed.

I can't give out
that kind of information.

What are you doing here?

I'm sorry.

I didn't wanna call.

How long have you been here?

We're not supposed
to be meeting.

I know, I've just...

I've been following the news
and I haven't seen

or heard anything
for three weeks.

Okay, well,
I've given it to my contact

and apparently,
she's having a very hard time

getting the papers
to believe that
it's not a fake.

Oh, uh...

Well, maybe that's okay.

You know, I...

Look, I mean,
all of the polls said

everyone's against
the war, anyway

and I, and I've
just been thinking...

Look, I think
that I acted too rashly

on impulse.
I didn't think...

Jesus, Katharine, is it a fake?

Of course it's not a fake.
It's real.

Well, then just go home!

Okay, don't talk about this
to anyone, ever!

Just...

Sorry.

It's out of our hands now.

Sorry.

The truth is,
the whole document
could be a fake.

But we're satisfied
the language used is real.

It's fascinating.

Yeah.

Is this document actually
in your possession?

Well, if it were,
I'd be in breach of the
Official Secrets Act

wouldn't I?

(BOTH LAUGH)

So based on what might be
in this document...

That you don't have.

That I don't yet have.

But that you want
to print in your paper.

If you don't issue
a D-notice
against publication.

Well, which I will
most certainly do

if I think the publication
might in any way

endanger the lives
of British people

or British forces.

Understood.

Good.

(CHUCKLES)

Go on.

Would you say
it were likely real

or a forgery?

What do you think?

I think it could be a fake

put out
by the anti-war movement...

...or by a foreign agency
to embarrass the US.

Which agency?

The Russians.

I mean, the French
oppose the war, too,

but I don't think
they'd do this.

I think you might be
overthinking it as usual,
Martin.

Meaning?

You tell me.

Well, meaning it could be
exactly what it says it is.

You know, Martin,
I believe that all information

collected in the name
of the public
should be made public.

The only question is, when.

But in this case,
I don't have
the luxury of time, Admiral.

Powell just made
a very strong case for war.

Yes, I see.

I have also always believed

that censorship when called for

should be based
on security issues alone...

...not on whether
a news report

might embarrass a government.

Thank you, Admiral.

EDIE: (ON SPEAKER)
Ed, it's Edie
from the London office.

I got a weird message for you

from someone
who wouldn't give his name.

He said you should call
extension 6727.

Makes no sense to me,
but maybe to you.

6727. Good luck.

6727.

Bye-bye.

6727. 6727. 6727.

(BUTTONS BEEPING)

6727.

(LINE RINGING)

OPERATOR: NSA.
How may I direct your call?

Hello.
Extension 6727, please.

6727?

6727, yes.

One moment.

SECRETARY:
Frank Koza's office.

Hello, may I speak
to Mr. Frank Koza, please?

Who shall I say is calling?

I can't say.
Just put me through.

Yes, sir.

KOZA: Hello?

Mr. Koza? Mr. Frank Koza?

Yes. Who's calling?

Mr. Koza,
my name is Ed Vulliamy.

I work for The Observer
newspaper in London.

I wanted to ask you
about a memo
you sent to GCHQ.

Mr. Koza?

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

Do you think this is real?

ED: (ON PHONE)
Yes, they put me through.

To Frank Koza?

Yes.

And you spoke
to him directly,
right, Ed?

Well, we didn't exactly
have a conversation.

Did you speak to him or not?
Yes or no, Ed? Jesus.

Yes, but he cut me off

when I said I worked
for The Observer.

But you're sure
that he exists,
right, Ed?

Hell yes, I'm sure!

I said, "Mr. Koza?"
He said, "Yes, who's calling?"

All right. Thank you, Ed.

Try not to fuck
this one up, Roger.

Fuck off.

You're welcome, anytime.

(CHUCKLES)

KAMAL: Hitler Diaries.

What?

I'm just saying
it smells of a forgery
like the Hitler Diaries

and, of course,
publishing those
cost people their jobs.

Which is precisely
why we're doing

rigorous checking
on this, Kamal.

Who brought you this?

Friend.

Someone from GCHQ?

No.

Then who?

Yvonne Ridley.

ROGER:
Yvonne fucking Ridley!

The woman who fell off
a donkey in Afghanistan

at some Taliban checkpoint!

Her arse over a tit
with a camera up her burka

and then she converted to Islam

after she was released
by her kidnapper.

None of which means
she's not right!

She's anti-war!

She probably typed
the fucking thing herself.

JAN: Martin, you realize
the legal risks
we'll be taking?

Yes.

JAN: The last time
we published
anything like this

you and Roger
almost went to prison.

Jan, the last time
our source claimed

MI6 had funded an attempted
assassination on Gaddafi.

This document
doesn't accuse anyone

of doing anything
remotely like that.

No, it merely suggests
that the US government,

with the help
of Great Britain,
might try to twist arms

and threaten UN delegates
into voting for a war in Iraq.

It's a hell of a story.

Look, we know Koza exists.

Beaver says the language
used is authentic.

And Wilkinson says
that while publication

may embarrass both governments,

he doesn't believe
that it poses a security risk

to the British people
or the armed forces.

Ironically,
publication may actually

prevent a war and save lives.

Well.

MI6?

Would not confirm
but did not deny.

(SCOFFS)

Jan, where are we legally?

Wilkinson may not issue
a D-Notice

but that doesn't stop Special
Branch from coming after us.

Thank you.

Legally, we have
a top secret document

in our possession.

Look, Rog, don't forget

we're getting
detailed information

directly from Blair's office.

Fuck off.

Well, he's right.

Printing this kind of story
would kill that relationship.

Since when did this paper
prioritize political access

over its own
investigative reporting?

PETER: Yes.

We have taken a position
on this, guys!

We support the war.

Yes. We do.

Fuck.

ROGER: But Peter's right.

This is a fucking good story.

Thank you, Roger.
(CLEARS THROAT)

(DOOR CLOSES)

Here we go.

Wait, I'll come with you.

I'm just going to go
get some milk.

Go back to bed.
I'll bring you a coffee.

Okay.

Hi.

Morning.

Hey.

What's the matter, janum?

(KATHARINE RETCHES)

What's going on?

Bravo, Martin.

MAN: Ah, there he is.

Well done.

(CHEERING)

WOMAN: Here he is!

MAN: Nice one, Martin.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

ROGER:
Brighty, congratulations.

Bloody brilliant.

Thank you.

What have you got for me next?

PETER: Every major
European paper is citing us

and we've had calls
in from CNN, NBC, and Fox.

They all want to interview you
for their morning shows

when they wake up in the US.

Any response
from Downing Street?

We got a call in,
but they're scrambling.

Martin, line 2.

Martin Bright.

Thank you. Thank you.

No.

Uh, no, the person
who leaked it
hasn't been identified.

YASAR: Why'd you do it?

I just thought
that they'd investigate.

I never expected them
to print the whole memo.

Why didn't you tell me?

Sorry, I didn't, I didn't, I...

I thought that you would try
and talk me out of it

and I didn't want you to.

My God, janum.

I'm so sorry.

They don't mention your name?

I haven't told anyone.

Good. That's good.

That's very kind.
All right, thank you.

Why don't you get in touch
with your friend Tony, Kamal?

Ask him if he has an opinion.

That's not funny, Rog.

- Martin?
- Yes?

NBC just canceled
your interview.

What?

NBC no longer wished
to interview Martin.

Did they say why?

They just said sorry,
but they didn't think

they could fit you in anymore.

Really?

Brighty, reporter from Santiago.

Thank you. Martin Bright.

MARTIN: Ah, uh. No.

At this stage,
we have no idea
what information

was gathered from Chile
or any of the other countries.

Peter.

Yeah?

Fox says that
they have to cancel.

What? Why?

Uh, yeah, Mexico is furious too.

Okay.
Thank you.

Martin?

Yes?

I've got a producer from CNN.

Martin Bright.

I see.

No. No, no. No, no.
That's all right.

Ah...

May I ask why?

Yes, I stand by it.
Of course I stand by it.

The Drudge Report?

Yeah.

All right, okay.

ROGER:
What the fuck is going on?

(KEYBOARD CLACKING)

It's fake.

We've printed
a fake fucking memo

from Yvonne fucking Ridley!

Oh, you fucking idiot.
There. You see it?

Because the Americans did.

Favourable. F-A-V-O-U-R.

Some English cunt has tried
to fake an American NSA memo

and you fucking schmucks
fell for it.

Wait. Martin,
where's the original?

Where's the original document?

ROGER: Jesus.

American spelling.

ROGER: What?

MARTIN: The original
has American spelling.

And this is what I filed, see?

Favorable. O-R.

Just like the original.
Not O-U-R.

And recognize with a Z,
not an S.

Who changed what I wrote?

Who...

Who changed
what I fucking wrote?

ROGER: Come on, speak up!
Who did this?

Nicole, what did you do?

I, um...

I ran it through spell check.

Spell check?

Jesus.

That's what I always do.
I'm so sorry.

Do not cry, Nicole.

Do not fucking cry.

Okay, well, we know
that it's not fake.

We go online,
we explain what happened,
we call all of the networks.

Stop it, Martin.

Fuck, Rog, it was
an honest mistake.

Don't be so naive.

You're an American editor.
What story do you put out now?

That The Observer
is doubling down
on a fake memo?

Or that the staff
of this newspaper

are really so colossally stupid!

(NICOLE SOBBING)

It's all right.
Would you like a cup of tea?

FIONA:
Someone in this building

has betrayed their government
and their country.

Now I'm sure
it wasn't anyone
in this division,

but starting today,

Internal Security will be
conducting interviews

with each and every one of you.

If you know anything
or suspect anyone,

it is your sworn duty
to speak up.

If you do not
and you are found to have

withheld information
of any kind,

you will be charged
with a breach

of the Official Secrets Act.

(HEAVY BREATHING)

You should see the file
that tosser's got on me.

What did he ask you?

FIONA: Katharine!

Come in, Katharine.

Katharine Gun?

Yes?

I'm John from
Internal Security. Please.

(EXHALES)

Mandarin translator.

GCHQ for two years.

Yes.

And before that?

I taught English
to Japanese students.

Hiroshima, right?

Yes.

Interesting.

Did you visit the memorial?

The peace memorial?

To the people
killed by the atomic bomb?

Yes, actually, I did.

It's, uh...

It's something
you really have to see.

It's very moving.

Compels one to think
about the consequences of war,

doesn't it?

Yes, I suppose it does.

Are you anti-war, Katharine?

No.

Uh, I think
sometimes war is necessary.

I see you lived in Taiwan
as a child?

Yes.

How long did you live there?

We moved over when I was three.

I came back to do my A-levels.

So for most
of your childhood then?

Yes.

You had a religious upbringing?

No, not particularly.

But were you sent away

to a Christian
missionary school
in Taiwan?

Yes.

Gave you a clear sense
of right and wrong, did it,

being in a mission school?

I think my parents gave me that.

(CHUCKLES)

Did you leak the Koza e-mail?

No.

No?

No.

But you read it?

Yes.

I mean, it was sent to me,
so I read it.

What were your immediate
thoughts after you read it?

Nothing much.
It didn't really bother me.

It didn't?

No.

Who do you think
might have leaked it?

I have no idea.

No?

No.

No?

No.

Thank you, Mrs. Gun.

That's all for now.

Eat a little.

Please.

They're bringing everyone in.
One by one.

You haven't said anything?

Okay. Just eat a little.

Everything will be all right.

Eat.

Hi, Fiona, it's Katharine.

Um...

I'm so sorry

but I don't think I'm gonna
be able to come in today.

Yeah, I think
I've caught a tummy bug.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

What'd she say?

She said I should get some rest.

Good.

She was nice.

That's good.

Try and sleep.

Sorry, I have to go.

REPORTER:
...ask you about a report
in The Observer newspaper

in London, a memo

reported to be from a man
who actually works at the NSA

in which he describes
a "surge in surveillance

"of UN Security Council
members."

What's your response?

Terry, as a matter
of long-standing policy

the administration
never comments on anything

involving any people
involved in intelligence.

No, of course, you don't.

What the fuck?

REPORTER: If you're
a Cameroonian diplomat

or a French diplomat
at the United Nations

then you're gonna have
to operate on the assumption

that the United States
is bugging you.

No, it's a blanket matter
of policy

that we do not
answer questions
of that nature...

Hi.

Hi.

...I'm not indicating
to you whether
it's true or not true.

Have you eaten?

...of policy that predates
this administration.

I brought soup.
A bean salad.

(TURNS OFF TV)

I'm gonna say it was me.

The Americans
are refusing to admit
that the memo was real.

I have to tell the truth.

No.

If I don't,
then they'll get away
with saying it was a fake.

Janum, you did what you could.
Now leave it alone, please!

What am I supposed to do?

Am I supposed
to keep lying forever?

If you say nothing,
they can never prove anything.

They are questioning
everyone at work.

They're interrogating
my friends.

They're asking people
to name names.

That will be over soon.

And then what?

There will be a question mark

in hundreds of people's files
because of me.

They will put you in jail!

I have to prove it was real.

Everyone at work knows that

what the NSA
asked us to do was illegal.

Nobody cares!

Well, I care!

If I don't say it was me,
then we'll go to war

based on blackmail and lies.

And I can't live
with that. I won't.

Janum, please listen to me.

I work at a cafe.

I took the job
because I needed a job.

But it's just a job.

You did the same thing,
remember?

When you saw the advert,
you said you didn't even know

what the job really was.

It's just a job.

And you can get another job.

You just need to keep
your head down
for a few more weeks

until things calm down.

Then you resign,
you can get another job.

MI-YUNG: Hey.
(SPEAKING MANDARIN)

ANDY: On a diet?

What?

No cinnamon bun?

(SIGHS)

Who's in there now?

Nuri. Second time.

Had him take a lie detector
test yesterday.

FIONA: Mi-Yung!

(KNOCKS)

I did it.

It was me.

Oh, Katharine.

Leave us, please.

Handbag.

Rings.

Necklace.

Watch. Belt.

I don't have a belt.

(NECKLACE CLINKS)

OFFICER:
Take her through cell 7.

(CELL DOOR OPENS)

(LOCKS DOOR)

SECURITY OFFICER:
I've found the passports
and a couple of foreign books.

YASAR: Who are you?

Where's my wife?

I want to see her.
Where is she?

They can't keep me long.
They haven't charged me yet.

No contact, please.

Where are they holding you?

Downstairs.

I'm okay.
I promise I'm okay.

I brought this.

It will get cold tonight.

(SOFTLY) Thank you.

OFFICER: Lights out.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

(DOOR UNLOCKS, OPENS)

Katharine Gun?

Yes.

We're from Scotland Yard.
Do you have a lawyer?

No.

TINTIN: There's a duty
solicitor on call.

She'll sit in with you.

(TAPE RECORDER CLICKS)

TINTIN: Your supervisor
speaks highly
of your integrity.

She says this breach
was a foolish one-off.

Was it?

Do you mean if I leaked
anything else? No.

Do you intend to?

No.

I've always been very proud
to work at GCHQ.

Until now.

Yes. Until now.

What were you employed to do?

Well, I can't be specific.

Be general then.

I translated signals
intelligence

and I reported anything

I thought
might be of interest
to my clients.

Your clients?

The Foreign Office.

The Ministry of Defense.

So, you work
for the British Government.

No. Not really.

No?

Governments change.

I work for the British people.

I gather intelligence

so that the government
can protect
the British people.

I do not gather intelligence
so that the government can lie

to the British people.

With respect, Mrs. Gun,

you're a spy.

Yes.

You gather information

from people's phones
and computers

and you feed that
to your clients.

Yes.

You eavesdrop
on private conversations.

And now you're upset
at being asked to do that

to members
of the Security Council?

Detective...

I don't object to being asked
to collect information

that could help
prevent a terror attack.

What I object to
is being asked
to gather intelligence

to help fix a vote at the UN

and deceive the world
into going to war.

Who put you up to this?

No one.

But you gave the memo
to someone.

Who did you give it to?
A journalist?

Someone in the anti-war
movement?

MAN: Your husband?

SOLICITOR: You don't have
to answer that.

No, I will answer that.

My husband had absolutely
nothing to do with this.

He was briefly detained
here, too, wasn't he?

Pending deportation?

Yes, he was.

And then you married him.

Yes.

His paperwork
has been resubmitted.

He signs in here once a week.

He's a Muslim.

I'm sorry?

TINTIN: He's a Kurdish Turk

seeking permanent residence
in Britain.

And given what
Saddam Hussein has done
to the Kurdish people,

murdering over
180,000 of them
with chemical weapons,

I can assure you

my husband has absolutely
no sympathy whatsoever

with the Iraqi regime.

Then why did you leak a memo

intended to help
remove Saddam Hussein?

'Cause by attacking Iraq,

you don't simply attack
Saddam Hussein,

you attack the country
of over 30 million people!

And I cannot bear to think
of the pain and the suffering

that that will cause.

Frankly, I don't see
how anyone can bear it.

SOLICITOR: Detective,
is she going to be
formally charged?

That's a decision
for the Attorney General.

Lord Goldsmith
will need time to decide
how to deal with you.

The custody sergeant
will release you

on police bail today.

You'll be told
to return to the station

in approximately three months,

by which time a decision
on whether to charge you

will have been made.

(DOOR BUZZING)

Are you all right, janum?

Are you all right?

Yeah, come on.

Katharine?

I'm sorry. I deal mostly
with petty criminals,

drunks and drug addicts.

If you're charged,
you're gonna need someone

with a lot more
experience than me.

I see.

Have you heard of Liberty?

They handle human rights cases,

political cases, often for free.

Well... I just wanted
to be sure you knew that.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Thank you.

REPORTER: (ON TV)
George W. Bush's patience

with the United Nation
has run out

because they haven't managed
to get those nine votes

at the Security Council
which would give them,

what they call,
a moral majority.

That represents a real failure
of American diplomacy.

REPORTER 2:
This is the man who's
advising Tony Blair

on the legality of war.

The Attorney General
Lord Goldsmith

has, I understand,
told the Prime Minister

military action would be legal
without a second resolution.

But it's all down
to interpretation.

What is she saying?
They have not got the votes

but they're going to war,
anyway?

REPORTER 2:
...arguing old
UN resolutions don't count

and war is illegal
without a new one

or a new threat.

So the troops are in place.

Some UN inspectors
are quitting Iraq.

Just how close are we to war?

Fergus has been assessing
the evidence. Fergus?

FERGUS: All the signs are now

that war is very,
very close now...

Hi.

Do you wanna come in?

Oh, no, no, no.

I'm all packed for London.

I just, um...

I just wanted to say,
I think that
what you did was amazing.

You do?

Yeah. A lot of us do.

Really?

Are they going to charge you?

I don't know.

(CRYING) God, Kat, I'm so sorry.

Hey, you didn't do
anything wrong.

I didn't do
anything right. I...

(MI-YUNG CHUCKLES, SNIFFLES)

I better be going. Bye.

(DOOR BELL JINGLES)

(AIRCRAFT WHOOSHING)

(EXPLOSIONS)

PRESIDENT BUSH:
My fellow citizens,

at this hour,
American and coalition forces

are in the early stages
of military operations

to disarm Iraq,
to free its people

and to defend the world
from grave danger.

Our nation enters
this conflict reluctantly,

yet our purpose is sure.

The people
of the United States
and our friends and allies

will not live at the mercy
of an outlaw regime

that threatens the peace
with weapons of mass murder.

(EXPLOSIONS)

We will meet that threat now.

We should have
got that memo out
sooner.

We did what we could.

We fucking failed.

PRESIDENT BUSH: So that we
do not have to meet it later

with armies of firefighters
and police and doctors

on the streets of our cities.

Now that conflict has come,

the only way
to limit its duration

is to apply decisive force.

I'm so fucking naive.

This will not be a campaign
of half measures

and we will accept
no outcome but victory.

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

I have to go.

You want to come to the cafe?

Work with me?

I'll call you later.

If we use the phones,

they'll be listening.

Let them listen.

We have nothing to hide.

You should contact
those lawyers...

...today.

Please.

(DOORBELL BUZZES)

MAN: Hello?

Hi. Uh, it's Katharine.

Uh, Katharine Gun.
I phoned this morning.

Oh, yes, Katharine.
Please, um, come on up.

(DOOR BUZZES)

Katharine?

Hello.

James.
Lovely to meet you.

Thanks for seeing me.

Not at all.

I'm sorry about the decor.

We like to say
we focus more
on our clients.

This is Shami Chakrabarti,
our director.

Hello, Katharine.

And this is Ben Emmerson.

Hi.

Hello.

This was the only memo you took?

Yes.

No one suggested you take it?

No.

And you've never
met Martin Bright?

No.

Martin called me last week.

He said he didn't know
who you were,

but he wanted us to be aware
that you might need our help.

Well, that was very kind of him.

He said he got the memo
from someone he knew

but he wouldn't say who.

Do you want to tell us
who you gave it to?

Look,

if you don't mind,
I would prefer not to say.

I promised I wouldn't.

Okay.

When you met Yasar, he had
already applied for asylum.

Yes.

Which was denied.

Yes, uh, they said
that there wasn't
a significant enough risk

of persecution if he went back.

And that's when you married him?

Yes.

And did he pay you?

Absolutely not.

I'm sorry,
I don't mean to upset you.

It's just that
your husband is Muslim

and the prosecution
will be looking for motive.

My motive was to stop a war

and save lives. I failed.

All I've managed to do is put
my husband's future at risk.

BEN: And your own.

In fact, by leaking information

to try and stop a war, I'd argue

that you chose loyalty
to your country

over loyalty
to your government,
your marriage and yourself.

You had nothing to gain
and everything to lose.

I think that speaks
rather highly of you.

SHAMI: He's trying
to give you a compliment.

I see.

JAMES: Part of our job
is to try and anticipate

what the prosecution's
going to throw at you.

Some of the people we meet
are looking for attention,

a way to elevate
their humdrum lives.

Well, I'm not.

No, I don't think you are.

Sorry.

There's nothing to be sorry for.

We're here to help.

(CHUCKLES LIGHTLY)

And we don't have duress.

She's adamant
no outside agency
put any pressure on her.

Public interest?

The public has
a right to know when
their government is lying.

We cite the Falklands case

when Thatcher lied
about why she ordered

the sinking
of that Argentinian ship.

Belgrano.

Yeah.

Who was the whistleblower?

Clive Ponting.

The jury acquitted him,
didn't they?

Yes, and immediately afterwards,

Thatcher had
the Official Secrets Act
amended

to avoid being
caught in a lie
in the future.

So since '89,
the public interest is

effectively whatever
the government says
that it is.

We've got nothing.

I have to think about it.

Sorry, I have to go.

I promised Anne a weekend away.

If they charge her,
we might have
to plead guilty

and ask for a reduced sentence.

But she's young and principled.

A judge might even think
that what she did
was morally right.

Or crucify her as a traitor.

Bye.

You sure he was following you?

He was staring at me.

Sometimes men stare...

Yeah, it wasn't
that kind of a stare.

What kind of a stare was it?

Yas, please,
I'm scared. Okay?

I'm scared.

You know, for years,
I've tried to be legal here.

I know.

Then why'd you do it?

These arseholes got
their war, anyway.

Saddam's over.
And you know what?

I'm glad he's over!

War is not over.

Ousting Saddam
is just the beginning.

What do you know about war?

I work at GCHQ.

All you do is listen
to people talking!

You've never seen war!
You've never smelled it!

Never even come close to it!

Yas, I understand
why you are angry.

It is my fault and I'm sorry.

I am so sorry.

But I watched Blair
with his smug smile

and his sterile speeches
that tell us nothing

of what it must feel
like to be a child
in Iraq right now.

I know I'm not sorry
that I tried to stop him.

I'm not.

I'm only sorry that I failed.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

Thank you for inviting us in.

What is it you came to say?

Well, there's been
a development.

Am I going to be charged?

That I don't know.

Then why are you here?

I gather you went to see
a lawyer today.

Did you follow me?

No.

Because somebody did.

Well, you must know
that after what you did,

GCHQ is concerned.

I have a right to legal advice.

TINTIN: Unfortunately,
it's not as simple as that.

When you signed on
to work for GCHQ,

you agreed to be bound
by the Official Secrets Act

for the rest of your life.

I know what I signed, detective.

Mm, then you know
that it says here

in Section 1-1

that "a person is
guilty of an offense

"if he or she

"discloses any information

"relating to security
or intelligence."

This means that you cannot
discuss anything

with anyone outside of GCHQ

relating to
the document you leaked.

Are you saying
I can't talk to a lawyer?

Oh, you have the right
to talk to a lawyer.

It's just that
you cannot discuss

anything to do with
your work at GCHQ,

or the contents
of the memo you leaked,

or how it came
into your possession

or who wrote it.

All of this information
is top secret.

So disclosing it
to anyone outside of GCHQ,

even a lawyer,

would be a further violation
of the Official Secrets Act,

which could result
in further prosecution

and a much longer
prison sentence.

We just wanted
you to be aware of that.

So if I may not
talk to a lawyer,
who may I talk to?

You should talk to
your superiors at GCHQ.

Are you fucking joking?

Yas, please. Please.

We should hear what
the detectives have to say.

They're just doing their job.

Simply put, if you wish
to tell anything to a lawyer

or the press or anyone else...

...you first need to
clear it with GCHQ.

Detective...

I leaked only one memo.

I had good reason to do so

and I intend to make
those reasons public

if I am charged.

I will not talk
to my lawyers again

unless I am charged.

Tell that to GCHQ.

Are you grilling
or smoking that fish?

I am smoking.
I've soaked the
wood chips in water.

I've got charcoal.

I'm... I'm trying
something new.

Hi.

Ken?

Hi.

Hi, Ken.

Guess you're down here
for the weekend.

Yes. Just for the night.

Yeah, me too.
It's been a while.

Mm-hmm. Would you, uh...
Do you want a drink?

Uh, no, thanks.
Sally's cooking dinner.

Hello, Anne.

Hi.

I'm so sorry to intrude.

Oh, not at all.

How's the new job?

Well, it's, um, eye-opening.

In fact, I wondered
if I might ask Ben's opinion

about a new case
that my office has been
asked to prosecute.

It won't take a minute.
Would you mind?

How do you know that I met her?

Security services
are all over this.

Mm-hmm.

And it's not just
a domestic embarrassment.

The Americans are very unhappy.

Oh, well, that is upsetting.

Oh, come on, Ben,
it's not funny.

What she did was
a deliberate act
of betrayal.

Look, Ken, we're not
colleagues anymore.

We're on different sides here.

I think she wants
to be seen as some
sort of cause celebre.

But she swore allegiance
to the intelligence services

and when you do that
you don't get to
pick and choose

what orders you'll follow.

Following orders
is not a defense
to a war crime.

Yes, but who is she
to undermine
the strategic objectives

of a democratically-elected
Prime Minister.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, come on,
she's not selling
state secrets to Moscow.

She exposed an illegal attempt

to secure
a UN resolution for war

which would have
given Blair perfect cover

for the bloody mess
that we're in now.

No, she should have
kept her mouth shut

or complained to her superiors.

Now I've got
a real problem with people

who think that
from some lowly position

they can possibly see
the big picture.

So then you would
never question authority

even if you knew
it was breaking the law.

Ben, you can't blame me
for being angry with her.

We're at war.

So, I'm going to assign
the best prosecutor
in my office

to bring this girl down,
which shouldn't be difficult.

She's already confessed.

I appreciate your determination

to make an example of her,
but you shouldn't be here.

Oh, come on, we're friends.

I'll make my position
perfectly clear.

If you charge her,
then I will defend her

to the best of my ability.

So let's go home and pretend

that this conversation
never happened.

You're not working today?

No. I have to sign in
at the station.

Then we can go for a hike.

I want to see the sea.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

Leave it.

(KATHARINE CHUCKLES)

KATHARINE ON RECORDING:
Hi, we're not in.
Please leave a message.

Katharine,
it's James Welch from Liberty.

Uh, we should talk.

Could give me a call
when you get the message?

Hello?

Oh, ah, Katharine.

I'm afraid I have some bad news.

Uh, James, you know that

GCHQ said I
couldn't talk to you.

Oh, then, well, the good news is

we finally had
the gag order lifted.

We've agreed to not
ask any questions

about what other work
you did at GCHQ.

But what happens going forward
isn't up to them.

Your case is now in the hands

of the Crown Prosecution
Service.

They're going to charge you.

We should meet next week.

Katharine?

Yes. Uh...

Okay. Yeah.

I know that this is
a lot to take in,

but we will help you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you very much, James.

Speak soon.

EDIE:
"GCHQ whistleblower charged."

"Traitor or spy?"

"Spy speaks out."

"The spy who wouldn't
keep a secret."

"Who is Katharine Gun?"

"Leak against this war."

She's everywhere.

What's your angle?

Look.

"Katharine Gun faces jail
for exposing

"American corruption
in the run-up to war.

"Now her
celebrity supporters insist

"it is Bush and Blair
who should be in the dock."

Celebrity supporters?

Mm.

Little tabloidy,
don't you think?

Hey, we're building awareness.
How about Daniel Ellsberg?

He leaked the Pentagon Papers.

I know who Ellsberg is, Martin.

Of course you do.
Forgive me.

Well, Ellsberg
described it as...

"The most important
and courageous leak
I've ever seen.

"No one else has ever done
what she did.

"Tell secret truths
at personal risks

"before an imminent war,
in time, possibly,
to avert it."

Okay, that's classy.

YASAR: I'll be quick.

(KNOCK ON WINDOW)

Are you waiting
for the tall man?

The dark-haired one?

Yeah.

He was shouting
that his wife was outside.

They took him.

What?

They took him.

Where is he?

OFFICER:
Sorry. Who are you?

I'm Yasar Gun's wife.
Where's my husband?

I'm sorry, ma'am.
He's scheduled
for deportation.

What?

No. No, no. Uh, no, no.

Look, look, there's been
some sort of mistake.

I need to see my husband
right now.

I'm afraid that's not possible.

OFFICER:
You can't go in there!

Please. Please,
please, please, please.

Let me see him, please.

Please, he doesn't
have anything with him.

He doesn't even have any money.

OFFICER: I'm sorry.
They've already taken him.

KATHARINE: No, no.
They won't say where.

I don't know. Oh, God, James,
I don't know what to do.

JAMES: Katharine,
I'm so sorry.
I'm at the Hague.

Who's your MP?

I don't know.

Is it Nigel Jones?

Nigel Jones, yes. Yeah.

Do you have
your marriage certificate?

Uh, yeah, yeah, somewhere.

Right.

Find it and
I'll track Nigel down.

Of course they're
legally married,
Beverly.

I'm holding their
marriage certificate.

BEVERLY: I'm sorry,
but his application

to remain in this country
has been denied.

Mistakenly.

He's complied
with every directive

your department's issued.

Nigel, your constituent
is accused

of betraying her country.

Do you really think we should
be helping her husband?

I think deporting her husband
when she's facing a trial

looks like state bullying.

All right,
I'll review his paperwork.

NIGEL: Thank you.

And please make sure
he's not flown out tonight.

(CALL DISCONNECTS)

I'm sorry.
Best I can do for now.

I promise I will pick this up
first thing tomorrow.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

Hello?

JAMES: We tracked him
to Harmondsworth
Detention Center.

It's a deportation center
at Heathrow Airport

right off the M-25.

Go to the main gate
and wait there.

KATHARINE: Uh, are they
gonna release him?

JAMES: We have ministerial
approval but no paperwork yet.

There is a possibility

he's already
been put on a plane.

What?

Yeah, I'm checking.

Just get there
as soon as you can.

GUARD: Out you go.
Let's go. Move it.

This is a mistake, sir.

This is a mistake.

Come on.

Please.

I need to call my wife.
I must call my wife!

(TIRES SKIDDING)

(HONKING)

(HORN BLARES)

GUARD: Next in line.

(AIRPLANE DRONING)

KATHARINE: Hello?

(KNOCKS)

Hello?

(PHONE RINGING)

Yeah?

KATHARINE: James, James, um,

I don't know if I'm
even at the right place.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know,
but it's 4:00 a.m.

There's nobody to talk to.

Wait, wait.
Someone's coming. Wait.

Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.

I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

It's all right.

You okay?

I'm okay.

Are you okay?

You're okay?

Yeah, yeah.

If they try and pull
anything like that again,

then I want to go public.

Not a good idea.

Why not?

Because people are fickle.
Many will hate you.

Your personal lives
will be picked apart,

your marriage
will be interrogated.

In fact, we think
it will be best

if Yasar was kept
well out of this.

You should probably
not attend the trial.

I understand.

What? No.

Janum, we both know
the jury will prefer

an English girl without
an immigrant husband.

You know what?
That is ridiculous.

We are married and we have
nothing to be ashamed of.

The shame is on them, not you.

You don't need to risk
your freedom to prove it.

We should discuss
how you'll plead.

Not guilty.

SHAMI: But you understand
you confessed.

I confessed that
I leaked a memo in order
to try and save lives.

And we will use that argument
to ask for a reduced sentence.

If you do plead guilty,
there will be no jury.

You could be out of jail
in less than six months.

Given how badly
the war is going,

we think a judge
is likely to be sympathetic.

But I'd have a criminal record.

JAMES: That is true.

Which I would carry with me
for the rest of my life

into every job interview,

every application for credit.

Yes.

And I'm sorry.

We would be conceding

that no one in Intelligence
can ever tell
the British people

when their government is lying.

JAMES: Not when
the lies are protected

by the Official Secrets Act, no.

I'm sorry.
This is all a charade.

I mean, if you're saying
that I have to plead guilty

because the act allows
absolutely no defense
whatsoever,

then the very idea
of a fair trial is a joke.

I'm sorry, Katharine,

but the best we can do
is ask a judge
for leniency.

Post Belgrano, there
really is no defense

to a breach of
the Official Secrets Act...

Except perhaps one.

Katharine said it herself.

She leaked the memo
to try to save lives.

But she still broke the law.

Yes, but there are
circumstances where
you can break the law.

It's only in situations
of absolute necessity...

Necessity. Exactly.

Ben, you're reaching.

Am I? What are
the requirements for
a defense of necessity?

Imminent threat to your life
or the lives of others.

Yeah, and no other reasonable
way to prevent loss of life.

Yes, right, well,
the invasion posed

an imminent threat
to thousands of lives.

Katharine has no right
to try and prevent a war

authorized by
the Attorney General.

Unless the war is illegal.

SHAMI AND JAMES: What?

(CHUCKLES)

Wait, wait, so now we're going
to put the war on trial?

BEN: Yes.

I believe that Katharine Gun
tried to stop an illegal war.

What she did was necessary

to try to save
thousands of British-American
and Iraqi lives.

And Goldsmith
specifically stated

that the invasion was legal.

He said so only three days
before the invasion.

What was his position
before that?

What was his advice
at the time Katharine
leaked the memo?

Well, we have no idea.

Well, I'd like to find out.

Because Blair spent
a lot of energy

trying to secure
a new UN resolution.

I suppose.

When Lord Goldsmith finally said

the war was legal,
his deputy legal advisor
resigned.

Yes, Elizabeth Wilmshurst.
Yeah, that's right.

She resigned. Yes, yes.

SHAMI: But she didn't say why.

KATHARINE: She couldn't.

If she did,
she'd be charged under
the Official Secrets Act.

So I need to get a meeting
with Elizabeth Wilmshurst.

She's not gonna go public.

BEN: She doesn't have to.

All we need is a hint

that Goldsmith
changed his mind
about the legality of the war.

I'm sorry, Ben.
There are two ways
they could justify war.

We've only addressed one.

So what am I missing?

Self-defense.

Oh, come on.

Does anyone honestly believe
that this country

was about to be attacked
by Iraq?

I do agree, but that's why
they trotted out Powell.

To make the case for WMDs.

Oh.

If it's true that Iraq
has weapons of
mass destruction

that pose an imminent threat
to this country,

the war is legal
without a UN resolution.

How many people actually believe

Iraq still has weapons
of mass destruction?

SHAMI: Well,
they're still looking.

If we go down this route,
we better pray
none are found.

BEN: I'm gonna get
Elizabeth Wilmshurst's number.

You've put me
in a rather awkward position.

I'm sorry, but thank you
for seeing me.

I think what she did
took great courage.

And she was naive,
of course, but brave.

And you were
brave enough to resign.

But not to speak out in public.

If I had, I might have caused
more of a brouhaha.

Sparked a proper debate.

Can I ask you, uh,
how did you resign?

I wrote a letter.

And in that letter,
did you give
a reason

for your resignation?

I restated my position
on the legality
of going to war.

Which was?

That it would
not be lawful to use force

without a new
Security Council resolution.

Um, did Goldsmith initially
support your view?

He did.

He told Blair that
if military action were taken,

he expected
the government to be accused

of acting unlawfully.

And was that a written opinion?

It was a detailed
advisory document.

Right, so then would that
have been his position

at the time that Katharine Gun
printed the Koza memo

on February 3?

Yes.

And then he went to Washington.

Oh, really?

Well, who did he meet there?

I wasn't given details.

But after that trip,
his opinion changed.

In nine short paragraphs,
he said that

the UN's authorization
for the 1991 Gulf War

could be reactivated

to legitimize
a new war with Iraq.

He told the Prime Minister
what he wanted to hear?

At best, he was
persuaded to support

a really fringe point of view.

Oh, really fringe.

Yeah.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

Martin Bright.

Martin.

Ben.

Ben.

I took
your whistleblower's case.

Yes, I heard.
Can I meet her?

No, not yet, Martin.
I don't want a media frenzy.

Okay. When she's ready.

Before some hack
tracks her down.

Come on, Ben,
I broke her story.
I'm on her side.

Well, you can help
by finding out

why the Attorney General
went to Washington

just before the war started.

Wait, Goldsmith went to DC?

I'd like to know
who he met there.

Right. I'm on it.

And how is Peter?

Peter is in Iraq.

Yeah, yeah, I know.
I've been reading
his articles.

Listen, if he hears anything,
even a hint

that Saddam really did have
weapons of mass destruction,

then please call me.

Of course. Can I ask why?

Well, let's just say
that if WMD are found,

then defending Katharine
will be a little more
complicated.

I'll get back to you.

All right, thank you.

Okay. Thank you. Bye.

(WHISTLES)

There's thousands
of inspectors here

from the US Army,
the British Army

the CIA, FBI.

MARTIN: And still nothing?

No, no, not a fucking thing.
Nothing.

Anyway, some Polish troops
found a cache of
Sarin gas warheads

dating back
to the Iran-Iraq War,
but they were all empty.

And right now, I'm standing
in a glass factory

and all they've found is piles
of silica sand and soda ash.

So, yeah.

Things must be getting ugly
in Washington.

Well, you should talk to Ed.

Maybe we could end up doing
a joint piece or something.

(EXPLOSIONS)

Peter, what was that?

No, no, no.

It's just our guys detonating
some conventional ordnance.

They don't wanna have...

Jesus.

...kids finding unexploded
shit in the rubble.

All right, talk soon.
Take care.

Yeah, all right, mate. Bye.

(CLAMORING)

February 11.

MARTIN: What?

ED: Goldsmith's in DC
meeting with the attorneys

for Bush, Powell,
Rumsfeld and Rice.

Okay, hold on...

But that's not the big story.

The really big story is the OSP.

The Office of Special Plans.

Turns out when
Bush wasn't getting
the intelligence he wanted,

Rumsfeld bypassed the CIA

and set up his own
intelligence unit.

They fed
raw unvetted intelligence

to Bush and Powell
who lied us into a war!

Yeah. Okay, Ed.
I appreciate that.

But let's, first, try and help

a young woman
stay out of prison.

Uh, you said Goldsmith
met Bush's lawyers

on February 11.
Who were those lawyers?

"John Ashcroft,
Alberto Gonzales,

William Taft, Jim Haynes,
John Bellinger."

The attorneys for Bush,
Powell, Rumsfeld and Rice.

Wow. They really
turned up the heat.

You know, I almost
feel sorry for Goldsmith.

Don't. He fucking caved when
his country needed him most.

That's a great headline, mate.

It bloody is.

(CHUCKLES) All right.

Print it.

Yeah. Bye.

We'll share the byline.

Bye.

Nutter.

MARTIN: Goldsmith was
under tremendous pressure

before he went to Washington.

Our military were
refusing to invade

without a clear legal opinion
from him

that what they were doing
was legal

in case of a war crimes trial.

Thank you, Martin, very helpful.

Well, no, hang on,
hang on, hang on.

Do you think you have a defense?

We're working on it.

Okay.

Let me know when you do.

Well, you'll hear it in court.

Come on, Ben.

Bye.

He's persistent.

He is.

But it's your story

and you don't need
a media trial.

We should request
full disclosure
of all legal advice

given by Goldsmith
in the year leading up
to the invasion.

He'll almost certainly
refuse to comply.

Then we'll subpoena Wilmshurst.

Hell, we'll subpoena
Goldsmith himself.
And Blair too.

Ben, if we can't prove that
Goldsmith changed his advice,

we can't argue that Katharine
tried to stop an illegal war.

What then?

Then I'll be found guilty.

BEN: Almost certainly, yes.

So, do you want to risk it all

and ask for disclosure
of the government's documents,

or would you rather plead guilty

and hope for a reduced sentence?

(SIGHS)

I think...

...we were lied
into an illegal war.

Let's ask for the documents.

All right.

(CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING)

(CLAMORING)

You ready?

No statements now, remember.

Let's just get through
those doors.

(CLAMORING CONTINUES)

JAMES: Katharine, you okay?

KATHARINE: Yeah.

JAMES: Ben's already
in the courtroom

but he wanted you to
meet Martin Bright.

Uh, he's covering the trial.

Katharine, it's an honor.

I'll be in the press gallery.
I hope that's all right?

Yeah, uh, yeah. You...

You took a real risk.

No, you took the risk.

I think what you did
was extraordinary.

I think what you exposed
was extraordinary.

All our institutions failed us.

The government,
the intelligence services,

the press,
they failed us categorically.

Even my own paper supported
the war before that memo.

Well, thank you for being here.

No, thank you.

It's important what you did.
It matters.

JAMES: We should go in,
Martin.

MARTIN: Yes.

Sorry, James. Yes.
Uh, be strong.

Katharine,
you're going that way.

Uh, can I just have a moment?

Of course.

Thanks.

You should
leave that behind,
ma'am.

Uh, yeah, sorry,
can I just have
a second? Just...

(CELL PHONE RINGS)

Janum?

Hi. Um, I'm about to go in.

I love you.

I love you too.

Uh, I'm gonna try
and call as soon as I can.

I wish I was there with you.

I know.

I'm so sorry.

You have nothing
to be sorry for.

I'm so proud of you.
So proud of you.

(SNIFFLES) Bye.

Bye.

SECURITY: Miss?

(SNIFFLES)

Sorry.

I can take your bag.

We'll see you in there, okay?

Yeah.

Your scarf and jacket, please.

Okay, and then
if you'll raise your arms.

Okay.

(PICKS UP RECEIVER)

She's here.

Right. Okay.

Judge is ready.

Up you go.

CLERK: Are you
Katharine Teresa Gun?

(SOFTLY) Yes.

I'm sorry.
Can you speak up,
please?

Yes, I am.

CLERK: "Katharine Teresa Gun,

"you are charged with an offense

"contrary to Section 1,
Subsection 1

"of the Official Secrets Act
of 1989.

"In that between January 30
and March 2 of 2003

"you did knowingly
and intentionally

"disclose top secret
intelligence information

"contrary to the said act."

How do you plead?
Guilty or not guilty?

JUDGE: Ms. Gun?

Not guilty.

(AUDIENCE MURMURING)

Yes, Mr. Ellison.

Yes, thank you, My Lord.

My Lord, in light of
recent developments,

the prosecution
will offer no evidence

against the defendant
on this indictment.

(AUDIENCE MURMURING)

JUDGE: I beg your pardon?

My Lord, the prosecution will
not pursue the indictment.

JUDGE: Today?

No, My Lord.

JUDGE: I'm sorry.

Are you asking for
an adjournment, Mr. Ellison?

ELLISON: No, My Lord.

JUDGE: You are saying
that you do not wish

to proceed at all?

ELLISON: Yes, My Lord.

But the accused confessed.

Yes, My Lord.

JUDGE: And yet you do not
wish to proceed?

ELLISON: No, My Lord.

JUDGE: I'm sorry.

I find that extraordinary.

Do you care to explain?

My Lord,
the accused submitted
an unusual defense.

Yes. The defense of necessity.

ELLISON: Yes.

And?

And we do not believe
we have sufficient evidence
to rebut it.

Why not? She confessed.

Because, My Lord,

the documents that
we have called for would show

that this country was taken
to war illegally...

(AUDIENCE MURMURING)

...and may expose

the government to
charges of war crimes.

That is absurd!

Is it?

Then kindly hand over
the documents

that we have asked to see.

My Lord, the prosecution
is not obliged.

Indeed, it is not permitted
to continue with a case
if it does not believe

there is a realistic prospect
of a conviction.

To do so would be a waste
of taxpayers' funds.

My Lord, I am thankful

that the charges against
Ms. Gun are being withdrawn

and that the Crown
is suddenly so determined

not to waste taxpayers' money.

But surely,
after months of uncertainty

and severe distress,
Ms. Gun is entitled to know

why the government
is dropping this case?

Indeed, the public
is entitled to know.

AUDIENCE: Hear, hear.

Hear.

JUDGE: Mr. Ellison?

Again, My Lord, we do not feel

we have a realistic prospect
of a conviction.

There is nothing more I can say.

JUDGE: To be clear,

you are withdrawing all charges

against Katharine Teresa Gun?

Yes, My Lord.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Ms. Gun...

...you are free to go.

(SIGHS)

(EXHALES)

REPORTER 1:
In a startling about-turn,
the Crown Prosecution Service

has dropped its case
against an intelligence...

REPORTER 2: At 29,
Katharine Gun was facing jail
for breaking the...

REPORTER 3: The last thing
the government wanted

within months
of a general election

was a big court case

focusing on the legality
of that war...

REPORTER 4: The lawyers wanted
the Attorney General's

secret advice to Downing Street

about whether invading Iraq
was or was not legal

disclosed that the...

And he was
involved in deciding
whether today's case...

REPORTER 5: First tonight,
Katharine Gun walks free.

In a dramatic about-turn,
the Crown...

REPORTER 6:
So did the Attorney General

put pressure on to stop
the trial?

Did GCHQ?

Did the prime minister?
No answers.

Tonight we're simply
asked to believe

that there was no case
to answer.

(CLAMORING)

REPORTER:
Would you do it again?

Would you do it again?

I have no regrets.

Yes, and I would
do it again, yes.

Caught anything?

Not yet.

You know, it wasn't
my choice to prosecute.

I was bound by the decision
of the Attorney General.

Why did you keep her
in a state of distress

for a year
before you brought charges?

The services wanted to make
an example of her.

If we dropped the case
any earlier,

what kind of message
would that have sent?

Do me a favor, Ken.

Go and fish somewhere else.