Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers: MI5, MI6 And the Shayler Affair [Hardcover]

Annie Machon (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 387 pages
• Publisher: Book Guild Ltd (December 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185776952X
• ISBN-13: 978-1857769524
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,481,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Annie Machon worked as an intelligence officer for the UK domestic Security Service, MI5, where she was responsible for investigating political and terrorist targets before resigning to help her former partner, David Shayler, blow the whistle on the crimes, incompetence and lack of accountability of the spies.

As a result, they had to go on the run around Europe, live in exile for three years and survive two high profile court cases.

Annie has gained a rare perspective both on the inner workings of governments, intelligence agencies and the media. Drawing on her varied experiences, she is now a writer, international public speaker, media commentator and political campaigner.

Website: www.anniemachon.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine study of how badly MI5 and MI6 protect the British people, September 16, 2006

By 

William Podmore (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers: MI5, MI6 And the Shayler Affair (Hardcover)

In this remarkable book, Annie Machon makes serious allegations against the British state's intelligence services, MI5 and MI6. Ms Machon and her partner David Shayler are former high-ranking MI5 officers, both now retired from the service. The book's allegations derive from their experiences and deserve at least to be the subject of inquiry.

She asserts that MI5 has illegally investigated thousands of British citizens for their political views; that there was collusion between the Army Forces Research Unit and loyalist terrorists; that MI5 failed to stop four major terrorist attacks in Britain, even though it had reliable evidence; and that MI5 and MI6 let a known Libyan terrorist into Britain and let him set up a terrorist network here.

She alleges that MI6's counter-Iranian section used the Sunday Telegraph (and the journalists Con Coughlin, John Simpson and Dominic Lawson) to try to blame Iran for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, the destruction of flight PA103. MI6 was trying to deflect attention from the fact that it was actually a Libyan retaliation for the US bombing of Tripoli (backed by Thatcher) in 1986.

The book's most significant allegation is that MI6 illegally paid tens of thousands of pounds to Al-Qa'ida in 1995-96 to assassinate Colonel Gaddafi and seize power in Libya. In the attempted coup, several innocent civilians and security police were killed. If this is true, MI6, a British state agency, sponsored our terrorist enemies in a conspiracy to murder, which resulted in the killing of innocent civilians.

But Blair refuses to hear any evidence against the intelligence services, and prosecutes and harasses critics and whistleblowers. The Intelligence and Security Committee, set up under the 1994 Intelligence Services Act to oversee the services, is no use, because it is appointed by and reports only to the Prime Minister.

The intelligence services should work under the rule of law and respect democratic rights. Terrorist suspects should be arrested and brought to trial under criminal law, not detained, or executed, without trial, as has happened in Northern Ireland and elsewhere.

The intelligence services are supposed to protect us, but it would appear that they have instead connived in terrorism, putting us at greater risk of terrorist attack.

6 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars credibility problems, December 30, 2007

By 

sh - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers: MI5, MI6 And the Shayler Affair (Hardcover)

The book itself doesn't make any outrageous claims, and looks reasonably believable. Its most suspcious statement is probably the suggestion that the Mossad might have been behind the 1994 Israeli Embassy bombing in London, but even that is at least remotely plausible, especially since the bomb caused only minor cuts and bruises.

Unfortunately, the author's public comments outside of the book destroy all her credibility. She says 9/11 is an inside job by the US government; but she doesn't stop there. According to her, no planes ever hit the Twin Towers (they were holograms). These claims are so outlandish that they actually annoy the more mainstream 9/11 conspiracy activists because they feel they look too stupid by association.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200609110028
or search google for her numerous videos, in case you think the journalist misunderstood what she said

Her ex-partner and the main reason for the book, David Shayler, is a step ahead. Earlier this year, he claimed to be the Christian Messiah executed by the Romans 2000 years ago:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2224855.ece

It is quite possible that the book is actually quite truthful, and the author and the main character went crazy only after the book was published, due to the great emotional pressure of lives turned upside-down. But certainly, all of this doesn't help the credibility of the book at all.