‘British bugged

Press, 8 February 1980, Page 5

‘British bugged

American Embassy’ y NZPA London A British magazine has reported that British secret services were bugging and telephone-tapping foreign embassies in London, including the Americans. These were the latest disclosures about a big Government eavesdropping operation code-named Tinkerbell. The weekly “New Statesman” blew the whistle on the operation’s existence last week in an article written by a 27-year-old telecommunications expert, Duncan Campbell. The latest report, the second in the series, provided more information. It was reported in advance by two British newspapers — the tabloid “Daily Mirror,” which backs the Labour Party, and the Communist “Morning Star.” According to the newspapers, the “New Statesman” article based some of its report, on information from an unidentified former British intelligence official who was- said to have worked at one of the London phone-tapping centres. Describing’ the targets of intelligence bugging and tapping operations, the offical was quoted as saying: “Embassies, all of them .. . including the Americans . . . trade-union leaders and offices, all the time. Journalists, not very many, we’ve got enough information from inside .. . Shipping companies, they’re a very valuable source of information. A few MPs .. It is not known if the embassy bugging is-still going on. The charge that members of Parliament were having their phones tapped comes despite repeated Government assurances that they were not targets of the campaign. The article also alleged that Watergate-style breaking and entering was used to install the bugs. The eavesdropping disclosures have stirred a public outcry, with members of Parliament calling for a major review of Govern-ment-ordered electronic bugging, and the House of Commons speeding up plans to impose new controls over phone taps.