UK: Secret meeting with secret organization not such a secret

The Telegraph

Mitt Romney is given his own intelligence briefing by MI6 chief Sir John Sawers

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has been given a briefing on the deteriorating situation in Syria by the head of Britain’s security services.

By Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent

5:38PM BST 26 Jul 2012

It is extremely rare for Sir John Sawers, the chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, to share details about British intelligence with a politician who is not a head of state.

The unusual briefing prompted speculation that it was an attempt by the UK to win Mr Romney’s backing for a more interventionist role in Syria if he wins November’s election.

Mr Romney met Sir John during a series of meetings with senior British politicians, including Prime Minister David Cameron, his deputy Nick Clegg, Labour leader Ed Miliband and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The meeting with Sir John, who runs MI6, was disclosed in a brief press conference outside Number 10 after a meeting between Mr Romney and Mr Cameron in Downing Street.

Mr Romney disclosed that the pair had discussed “at some length about Iran, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, as well as Pakistan [and] Afghanistan”.

Read it at The Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mitt-romney/9430076/Mitt-Romney-is-given-his-own-intelligence-briefing-by-MI6-chief-Sir-John-Sawers.html