Spy leaker accuses Government of hype

An ex-spy who published a list of secret agents on the Net, accused the British government of hype yesterday. Richard Tomlinson masterminded the US Website which named over 100 MI6 agents around the globe. Government officials have been desperately trying to shut down the site. A senior Whitehall official said the action put lives at risk and was potentially "extremely serious", according to today’s Financial Times However, Tomlinson slammed the government’s reaction, saying it was "exaggerating" the damage caused. According to BBC Online, Tomlinson issued a statement yesterday claiming the information on his site was public knowledge. "Her Majesty’s government is over-reacting for public effect to stigmatise my efforts," he said. "The names of MI6 officers are the ones I cited in my affidavit on MI6 and Princess Diana." Tomlinson testified at the Paris inquiry into the Princess of Wales' death, claiming her chauffeur, Henri Paul, worked for MI6. The site, which seems to maintain its own server, lists 116 alleged MI6 agents. Yesterday saw a plea from rear admiral David Pulvertaft, head of Whitehall’s D Notice committee, to stop the publication of the URL or agent names. Following a rare public appeal to UK editors, Pulvertaft revealed his worries over cyberspace. "This has underlined the problem with the Internet – that it is unpredictable and uncontrollable," he said. Tomlinson joined MI6 in 1991 and served in Bosnia, Russia and the Middle East. He has made a number of unsubstantiated claims, including MI6’s botched assassination of Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic seven years ago. Yesterday’s revelations followed Tomlinson’s threats to reveal secret agents’ names and MI6 offices. He wanted revenge on his former employees for what he saw as an infringement on his liberty.®