GCHQ

by Richard Aldrich

  28 Deletant, Ceausescu and the Securitate, p.55.

  29 Burrough (UK FCO) to Stewart (Secretary UK JIC (A)), ‘NATO Security – Nahit ΓImre’, 28.01.69, FCO 41/441. See also DPS 1006/22/1/69, ‘Assessment of Military Damage Done to the UK as a Result of the Imre Affair’, 01.69, ibid.

  30 Bushell (UK NATO Deleg) to Ashe (FCO), ‘NATO – Spy Case’, 27.09.68, FO 1116/39.

  31 Burrough (UK FCO) to Burrows (UK Rep NAC), EJC 10/579/4, 18.02.69, ibid.

  32 Pemberton-Pigott (UK NATO Deleg.) to Burrough (FCO), 07.03.69, ibid.

  33 Pemberton-Piggot (UK NATO Deleg.) to Holmer (FCO), 06.08.69, ibid.

  34 Frank Cooper (UK MoD) to Bernard Burrows (UK Rep NAC), DSS (P)/7779, ‘The Roussilhe Case’, 21.11.69, FO1116/40.

  35 COS 1102/4/2/70, ‘Security breach in NATO’, 04.02.70, DEFE 32/19.

  36 Ibid. On warning indicators see Hennessy, Secret State, pp.9–12.

  37 Acting Chief of Defence Staff to Healey (MoD), ‘Widespread Lull in Soviet Air Activity’, 08.08.69, DEFE13/901. See also Taylor to Healey (MoD), 08.08.69, ibid.

  38 COS (I) 7/8/69, Item 1, ‘Soviet Military Activity in August 1969’, 07.08.69, discussing JIC(A) 69 (SA) 52, 06.08.69, DEFE 32/18.

  39 Acting Chief of Defence Staff to Healey (MoD), ‘Widespread Lull in Soviet Air Activity’, 12.08.69, DEFE 13/901.

  40 Taylor (MoD) to Healey, ‘Soviet Military Activity’ 12.08.69, ibid.

  41 Parsons (FCO) to Bushell (UK NATO Deleg), 31.05.67, FCO 41/146.

  42 Douglas-Home (SoS FCO) to Heath (PM), ‘Proposed Occasional Basing of US SR-71 Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft in Britain’, 16.12.71, DEFE 13/898.

  43 Mastny, A Cardboard Castle, pp.404, 522.

  44 On the impact of intelligence see Herman, ‘The Cold War: Did Intelligence Make a Difference?’, pp.159–63.

  Chapter 14: Staying Ahead – Sigint Ships and Spy Planes

  1 Hastie-Smith, ‘Nimrod (R)’ enclosed in Frank Cooper (DUS (P)) to Healey (Def Sec), 30.07.68, DEFE 68/76.

  2 Johnson, American Cryptology, Vol.2, pp.315–17, 395.

  3 Figg (FCO), ‘US/UK Cooperation in Moon Relay Communications’, 23.02.67, FCO 46/218.

  4 CTS/P(66)1, ‘Communications Trials Ship Watch Committee: State of the Project and Future Programme’, 25.01.66, MT 40/207.

  5 Mins. of 6th Mtg of Working Group B, 06.02.67, DEFE 61/8.

  6 ‘Communications Trials Ship: Sketch Staff Requirements’, 1965, MT 40/207.

  7 ‘Government Communications Trials Ship’, mins. of a mtg at MoD, 30.06.65, ibid. A prototype of the ship’s special trials communications system was built by Racal Special Systems Division at Slough and trialled on 11.12.68. Grantham (DG Weapons Naval) to GCHQ, 29.11.68, DEFE 61/8.

  8 ‘Communications Trials Ship’, Notes of a mtg 30.11.65, MT 40/207.

  9 CTS/P(66)2, ‘Communications Trials Ship Watch Committee: Allocation of Responsibility Between Departments’, 25.01.66, ibid.

  10 Kay (AEA) to Murray Smith (BT), ‘Application of Nuclear Power’, 15.03.66, ibid.

  11 P. Vane, ‘Britain Plans Atom Ship as Radio Voice in Ocean’, Sunday Express, 05.06.66. See also Communications Trials Ship Watch Committee: Working Group “E” – Finance’, mins of mtg 6.07.66, MT 40/207

  12 Figg (FCO), ‘US/UK Cooperation in Moon Relay Communications’, 23.02.67, FCO 46/218; min., 27.02.67, ibid.

  13 1957 Elint, ‘Naval Radio Research Program’, Box 104, CNSG records, RG 38, NARA

  14 Mountfield (T), memo, ‘Divisional Responsibility: G.C.H.Q, C.E.S.D and D.W.S’, 01.04.66, T 199/1089.

  15 Carter (NSA) to Sec Def, ‘Reductions of Overseas Cryptological Manpower’, 10.02.68, File: National Security Agency, Box 43, NSF-Agency File, LBJL.

  16 Johnson, American Cryptology, Vol.2, p.437.

  17 PFIAB, ‘The Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty’, 18.07.67, File: ME Crisis Misc. Material 2, Box 115, NSF-Country File, LBJL.

  18 Bamford, Body of Secrets, pp.187–239. However, see Johnson, American Cryptology, Vol.2, pp.436–7, which argues that this was the result of miscommunication.

  19 Lerner, The Pueblo Incident, pp.33, 79.

  20 Cherkashin, Spy Handler, pp.182–3.

  21 The files on the Dick White inquiry into sigint costs are at CAB 163/79 and CAB 163/284, but they remain closed.

  22 Coote, Submariner, pp.194–5.

  23 Ibid.

  24 ‘Material for a Biography’ enclosed in Roake to McGeogh (former FO S/M), 24.04.04, Roake papers, RNSM. Also private information.

  25 Alfie Roake, ‘Cold War Warrior’, p.5, unpublished MSS, A1999/163, RNSM.

  26 Mins of an Electronic Warfare Committee Working Party No.4 mtg, 23.12.68, AIR 2/18910.

  27 Barker, ‘The Mystery Boats’, pp.16–18.

  28 France was the only other European country with an independent nuclear deterrent.

  29 Hughes (GCHQ) to MoA, ‘S band SAM radars’, S/0875/1000/49, 24.09.63, AVIA 13/1341.

  30 Smith (GCHQ) to Kimbrey (RAF), ‘Draft Air Staff Targets Nos.CR/3614 and 3615’, S/0038/947/1, 16.01.61, ibid.

  31 Richardson (Sec TC/LSIC) to Hunt (RAE), ‘Airborne Elint R & D’, S/4507/265/3, 14.11.61, ibid.

  32 Richardson (Sec TC/LSIC) memo, ‘Review of Airborne Elint’, and ETAP 1//61, C/30/61, 31.10.61, ibid.

  33 T.A. Lewis (GCHQ) to Todd (RAE), ‘Sideways Looking System’, M/1332/ 9000/11C, 10.05.63, ibid.

  34 Air Staff Requirement No 817, ‘Sideways Looking Airborne Search Reviewing System’, 05.08.64, ibid.

  35 LSIC/10/64, ‘Airborne Sigint Collection’, 12.03.64, AIR 40/2820.

  36 JCG/S/24, Operational Requirements Committee, 19.07.67, AIR 20/11747.

  37 LSIB/12/66 (Final) 20.10.66, discussed in WD 86/87 ‘Air Staff Requirement No.389 (HS801(R))’, 07.12.67, DEFE 68/76.

  38 Within NATO Britain had full cooperation on elint with Norway, Denmark, Germany and Turkey. There was limited cooperation with Italy on naval tactical elint. Holland did naval elint but there was ‘no cooperation’, and with France there was also ‘no exchange’. DCDS (I) Maguire memo, ‘Elint Collection in NATO’, and annex, 27.11.67, AIR 20/11747.

  39 Britain’s cooperation with the BND Technical Sub-Committee is discussed in SZ/CSA/116/4 A.G. Touch, 1961, Zuckerman papers, University of East Anglia Library.

  40 DCDS (I) Maguire memo, ‘Elint Collection in NATO’, 27.11.67, AIR 20/11747. See also DASB Brief for mtg with CDS, 22.11.67, ibid.

  41 Ibid.

  42 Johnson, American Cryptology, Vol.2, p.359.

  43 LSIB/1/67, 16.02.67, discussed in WD 86/87 ‘Air Staff Requirement No. 389 (HS801(R))’, 07.12.67, DEFE 68/76.

  44 Aiken (AC(I)) memo, ‘Replacement Aircraft – No 51 Squadron’, 01.08.67, AIR20/12072. A working party on airborne sigint was running under Dr Cottrell, the Chief Scientist at the MoD.

  45 In the subsequent flurry of relabelling the Signals Command Air Radio Laboratory (SCARL) changed to Signals Air Radio Laboratory (SARL) in 1969.

  46 Humphreys (DS9) to PUS (E), ‘Nimrod (R)’, 01.08.68, DEFE 68/76.

  47 Brief No. 7 – ‘ACAS(Pol) for Discussions with VCOS USAF: Differences in Sigint Philosophy’, 04.72, AIR 2/12574.

  48 Cooper (DUS (P)) to PS to S of S, ‘Nimrod (R)’, 30.07.68, DEFE 68/76.

  49 Dixon (DD Ops), ‘MoD Air Electronic Warfare Committee Working Party No.4: Final Report’, 11.03.69, AIR 2/18910.

  50 Hellawell (DD Sigs 3), ‘HS801 (R) – Special Operator Voice for Comint Role 51 Squadron’, 11.03.69, ibid.

  51 Perrin (GCHQ) to Dixon (RAF), ‘MOD (AIR) Electronic Warfare Committee Working Party No.4’, P/0230/8102/13, 15.04.69, ibid.

  52 Perrin (GCHQ) to Dixon (DD Ops Recce), ‘Tasking of Airborne Sigint’, P/4359/ 8102/13, 21.03.69, ibid.

  53 VCAS, ‘Radio Proving Flights Against UAR and Syria’, 14.03.69, DEFE 13/894.

  54 Burnett (VCAS) to Healey (Sec Def), ‘Radio Proving Flights – July 1967’, 17.06.67, AIR 20/12133.

  55 VCAS to Def Sec, ‘
Mounting of RAF Radio Proving Flights from an Iranian Airfield’, 6.05.69, DEFE 13/894.

  56 Brief No. 7 – ‘ACAS (Pol) for Discussions with VCOS USAF: Differences in Sigint Philosophy’, 04.72, AIR 2/12574.

  57 Johnson, American Cryptology, Vol.2, pp.359–60.

  58 Record of Vice-Chief to Vice-Chief Discussions in Washington, 18.04.72, AIR 2/12574. The first B-52 lost to enemy fire was brought down by a SAM on 22.11.72. Over the next three years fourteen more would be lost.

  59 Omand (MoD) to SoS Defence, ‘Intelligence Gathering Operations – Ministerial Authority’, 6.02.74, DEFE 13/985.

  60 VCAS, ‘US Radio Proving Flights – February 1974’, 21.01.74. ibid.

  61 Ibid.

  62 Hooper (GCHQ) to Carter (NSA), 22.07.69, reproduced in Bamford, Puzzle Palace, p.337.

  THE 1970s: TURBULENCE AND TERROR

  Chapter 15: Trouble with Henry

  1 Cromer to FCO, personal for SoS, 24.11.73, FCO 82/288.

  2 Dumbrell, A Special Relationship, pp.125–46.

  3 Gustafson, Hostile Intent, p.17.

  4 Andrew, President’s Eyes Only, pp.351–3.

  5 Cable (FCO), ‘Dr Kissinger’s Ideas’, 31.07.73, PREM 15/1983.

  6 Cable (FCO), ‘Dear Henry’, 12.07.73, ibid.

  7 Millard (FCO) to Greenhill (PUS), 20.07.70, ‘Top Secret – Personal-Guard-Umbra’, FCO 73/162.

  8 Ibid.

  9 Young, The Labour Governments, 1964–70, p.15.

  10 Johnson, American Cryptology, Vol.2, pp.315–17

  11 Aid, Secret Sentry, pp.152–3.

  12 John Nix, pp.15–16, Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection (5), LL.

  13 Forster, ‘No Entry’, pp.139–46.

  14 Douglas-Home (FCO) to Heath (PM), 18.09.70, enclosing ‘Provision of Facilities for the United States Administration’, DEFE 24/603. The officials complained that ‘the task…has been a big one’. Gibson (MoD) to Tesh (FCO), 16.09.70, ibid.

  15 Ibid. A retired NSA director has confirmed to the author that the ability to compare world views was no less valuable a British contribution than raw intelligence.

  16 Andrew and Gordievsky, KGB, pp.435–6.

  17 Record of mtg in the Permanent Under-Secretary’s Office, 25.05.71, in Bennett and Hamilton (eds), DBPO, III, Vol.1, Britain and the Soviet Union, 1968–72, No.66, pp.339–43.

  18 Kissinger to Nixon, 24.09.71, and attached memo ‘Defection in the UK by a Soviet KGB Official’, Subject File: Defectors and Refugees, Jun 1971–Apr 1973, Box 318, National Security Files, NPM, NARA.

  19 Walden, Lucky George, pp.144–8.

  20 Greenhill (PUS FCO) to Douglas-Home (SoS FCO), 30.09.71, DEFE 13/898.

  21 Douglas-Home (SoS FCO) to Heath (PM), ‘Proposed Occasional Basing of US SR-71 Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft in Britain’, 16.12.71, ibid.

  22 JIC (A) (72) 23rd mtg (4) Confidential Annex, ‘Intelligence Exchanges with the French’, 22.06.72, CAB 185/10.

  23 JIC (A) (72) 17th mtg (4) Confidential Annex, ‘Release of Assessments on France to the United States’, 04.05.72, ibid.

  24 SIS paper INT 9 (70) 1 ‘Soviet Approaches for Intelligence in China’, attachment to No.4601/70, CAB190/9; JIC Working Party on Soviet Approaches for Intelligence on China, 1st mtg, 02.12.70, ibid.

  25 Eventually the capital costs rose to £35 million.

  26 D.DSTI/31/2/4/4, ‘Cobra Mist: Status and Future UK Policy’, 21.11.72, AIR 2/18797.

  27 Hooper (D/GCHQ) to White (IC), D/2709/1402/42, 24.06.71, DEFE 31/155.

  28 DUS (Air) to PS/SoS MoD, ‘Cobra Mist, Orfordness’, 19.06.73, ibid.

  29 Le Bailly to PUS MoD, ‘Cobra Mist’, and attachment, 11.06.73, ibid.

  30 Joseph (SoS DHSS) to Carrington (Min Def), 05.02.71, HO 255/1108.

  31 Min. Post and Telecommunications, note on mtg 26.03.71, ibid.

  32 Carrington (Def Sec) to Heath (PM), MO 10/7, ‘Cobra Mist, Orfordness’, 21.06.73, DEFE 31/155.

  33 Trend (CAB) to Dunnett (PUS MoD), ‘Cobra Mist OTHR’, 12.06.73, ibid.

  34 Le Bailly to PUS MoD, ‘Cobra Mist’, and attachment, 11.06.73, ibid.

  35 HD of S9 (Air) to DUS (Air), ‘RAF Orfordness’, 28.06.73, ibid.

  36 Nicoll (GCHQ) to Herman (Sec JIC), ‘Cobra Mist’, Z/1096/80002/15, 18.07.73, ibid.

  37 Rothery (FCO Hanslope) to Rogers (PSA), ‘Future Use of the Crowborough Site’, 06.06.83, CM 37/21.

  38 Cromer (Washington) to Brimelow (FCO), 07.03.73, FCO 73/135.

  39 Trend (Cab Sec) to Heath (PM), 24.04.73, PREM 15/1362.

  40 Record of mtg at the White House, 30.07.73, FCO 82/311.

  41 Webster (CAB) to Cradock (FCO), 29.08.73, CAB 164/1235.

  42 Trend memo, ‘United States/Europe Relations’, 17.08.73, ibid. Also private information.

  43 Robertson (CAB) to Trend (Cab Sec), 16.08.73, CAB 164/1235.

  44 JIC (73) 31st mtg (4), 16.08.73; JIC (73) 32nd mtg (7), 28.08.73, JIC (73) 33rd mtg (3), 30.08.73, JIC (73) 34th mtg (2), 06.09.73, CAB 185/13.

  45 Cabinet Office to the author, 21.05.07.

  46 Information from former American officials, 06.04.09.

  47 Trend (?) memo, ‘United States/Europe Relations’, 17.08.73, CAB 164/1235.

  48 Heath to Nixon, 04.09.73, ibid.

  49 Nixon to Heath, 09.09.73, PREM 15/1981.

  50 Tickell (Washington) to Wiggin (FCO), ‘Talks on MBFR–The Problem’, 12.10.73, FCO 41/1242.

  51 Sykes (Washington) to Brimelow (FCO), 13.08.73, DEFE 13/981.

  52 Bergman and Meltzer, Yom Kippur War, Real Time, pp.123–7.

  53 Le Bailly to ‘?’, 01.01.83, Folder 3, Box 7, Le Bailly papers, CCC.

  54 Le Bailly to ‘Charlie’, 01.07.82, Folder 3, Box 7, Le Bailly papers, CCC.

  55 Andrew, President’s Eyes Only, pp.391–2.

  56 Notes of an interview by Henry Brandon with Richard Helms, File 8 ‘Helms’, Box 57, Henry Brandon papers, LC.

  57 NRO memo for Dr McLucas, ‘November Forecast of NRP Satellite and Aircraft Overflight Activities’, 19.10.73, National Security Archive. See also JCS Memo for the Members of Special Committee, ‘Proposed SR–71 Deployment’, 08.10.73, ibid.

  58 Account by Colonel Jim Wilson, ‘OL-Griffiss AFB, Rome, New York, 1973 Yom Kippur War’, http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmater/griffiss.html.

  59 See also Brugioni, ‘The Effects of Aerial and Satellite Imagery’.

  60 Van der Art, Aerial Espionage, p.67

  61 Siniver, Nixon, Kissinger and US Foreign Policy Making, pp.201–3.

  62 William Colby/Kissinger, 9.40 a.m., 24.10.73, Kissinger Telecons, NPM, NARA

  63 Heath (PM) to Bridges (T), 28.10.73, PREM 15/1382.

  64 Note by the Assessments Staff, ‘The US Alert of 25 October’, 29.10.73, ibid.

  65 Smith (CAB) to Bridges (T), ‘The American Alert of 25 October 1973’, ibid; Hunt (Cab Sec) to Heath (PM), ‘Crisis Management’, 19.12.73, ibid.

  66 Overton (FCO), ‘US/UK Relations’, 12.11.73, FCO 82/306.

  67 Simons (Washington Embassy) to Herman (JIC), JIC 2/3, ‘New Director of Central Intelligence (DCI)’, 12.01.73, DEFE 13/891.

  68 Mumford (MoD) to Carrington (Def Sec), 07.11.73, ibid. See also record of a mtg between Carrington and Schlesinger in The Hague, 07.11.73, ibid. Harry Bergold was Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and NATO Affairs at the Department of Defense.

  69 Carrington (SoS MoD) to Douglas-Home (SoS FO), MO15/2/1 and annex, 26.10.73, ibid.

  70 Amery (FCO) to Carrington (SoS MoD), 01.11.73, DEFE 13/900.

  71 ‘Visit of US Secretary of State: US Request for Reconnaissance Flight Facilities in Cyprus’, 28.03.74, FCO82/441.

  72 Simons (Washington) to Arthur (FCO), JIC 2/12, ‘Information about Israeli/Egyptian Disengagement from US Reconnaissance Flights’, 24.04.74, FCO 93/401.

  73 NRO memo for Dr McLucas, ‘Denied Area Aircraft Reconnaissance’, 25.10.73, National Security Archive.

  74 BDS Washington to MoD, 23.07.74, DEFE 25/345.

  75
Killick to PUS, 16.01.74, FCO 82/443.

  76 Sykes (Washington) to Brimelow (FCO), 13.08.73, FCO 82/311. Richard Sykes was later Ambassador to the Netherlands, and was shot and killed there by the IRA on 22 March 1979. It is widely thought that he was mistaken for the Chief of SIS, who had visited The Hague the previous day.

  Chapter 16: Disaster at Kizildere

  1 Ankara to SoS, No.2593, ‘Kidnapping of NATO Tech Reps’, 07.04.72, Subject Numeric Box 2638, RG 59 NARA.

  2 Owen, Time to Declare, pp.391–2.

  3 There were also suggestions of assistance from Kuwait. Amman to SoS, No.1060, ‘Turkish Terrorist–Faydeen Relations’, 13.03.71, Subject Numeric Box 2229, RG 59 NARA.

  4 Richelson, American Espionage, p.84; Bamford, Puzzle Palace, p.159

  5 Bamford, Body of Secrets, p.43.

  6 Richelson, Century, pp.258–60

  7 Richelson, American Espionage, pp.85–9; Bamford, Puzzle Palace, p.159

  8 Richelson, Wizards of Langley, p.36.

  9 Mitchell (BJSM), ‘Ground Noise Listening Operations – Turkey’, 12.05.52, AFS/1700/6/Int, 12.05.52, File 381, Box 5, Army Int. TS Decimal File, 1945–52, Entry 47A, RG 319, NARA