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MoD smeared me by claiming I had affair with colonel to obtain secrets
Joe Murphy6 Feb 2009
A human rights campaigner today accused the Ministry of Defence of smearing her by claiming she had an affair with an Army colonel in Afghanistan.
Rachel Reid, 34, said a “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” campaign was launched to suggest she used a relationship to obtain military secrets about civilian deaths. The allegation was made after Colonel Owen McNally, 48, a senior British commander, was held in the war zone on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act.
Reports claimed the pair were “close” and The Sun newspaper alleged that he was suspected of passing secrets after she “befriended” him.
But today Ms Reid, an experienced former BBC journalist based in Kabul, hit back furiously. “Whatever the MoD has whispered into the ear of The Sun, Colonel McNally and I met only twice, both times in a purely professional capacity, both times at the Nato military HQ in Kabul,” she said.
“Both times we met to talk about civilian casualties from US and Nato air strikes.” Describing the claims as “bewildering”, she said such allegations could endanger her life because of social attitudes towards women in Afghanistan.
“Why was my name released to the media by the MoD, with a nudge, nudge, wink, wink libel that our relationship was close'?” she demanded. “They would know exactly what impression they were creating, and presumably decided that my reputation was expendable in order to ensure coverage of their story'.”
It is not the first time that women in public life have complained they were being smeared. Last year the director of civil rights campaign group Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, threatened to sue Cabinet minister Andy Burnham when he claimed she had “late-night hand-wringing, heart-melting phone calls” with former shadow home secretary David Davis. Ms Reid is a researcher for Human Rights Watch, which has angered American commanders by revealing figures showing civilian casualties from US and Nato raids in Afghanistan had tripled to 1,633 between 2006 and 2007.
Colonel McNally, who joined the Army as a private in 1977, is said to have had access to such figures from working with Nato's International Security Assistance Force. Ms Reid's lawyer, Mark Stephens, said both meetings with Colonel McNally were authorised and took place with other officials in the room. “Ms Reid acted throughout with propriety and professionalism,” he said. “It appears very likely that someone at the MoD is engaging in black propaganda, dishonestly spinning that there was a close relationship. This behaviour by an agent of the British government is truly shocking, and the person concerned must be unmasked and punished.”
An MoD spokeswoman confirmed an officer had been returned to the UK on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act. The case is being considered by Scotland Yard and no arrests have been made.
Reader views (3)
she certainly knew she would be destroying McNallies career. She doesnt seem concerned about that part.
- Neil, London, 07/02/2009 13:15
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With all the specious hand wringing in the news media about the release of "military secrets" by Col.McNally and the contrived accusation by the MoD of his liason with Rachel Reid, has anybody paused to ask WHY numbers of civilian casualties are held to be secret?
It seems to me to be yet another example of this government's tactics to suppress unwelcome information of official deceit; rather like the attempt to hide details of MPs expenses.
- E. Gent, Bexley, UK, 07/02/2009 10:54
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Typical response to anything that upsets Unkle Sam, look for a scapegoat, leak something to the press and if nobody makes a fuss it will hopefully go away and then we can get back to more serious things, like cut backs to much needed life saving equipment for the troops doing the fighting.
- B.Green, Shipdham,Norfolk, 06/02/2009 15:18
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