Many people will be aghast at the revelation that Australia's ASIS bugged the meeting room of the East Timor team negotiating a sharing agreement to divvy up the oil and gas wealth in the Timor sea, dividing the two countries. East Timor is now taking the matter to court in the Hague, hoping to have the agreement torn up because it was negotiated under " unfair advantage ".
The world of " spying " - as some would call it - and " information gathering " as others insist is the appropriate definition - has hit the news since Wikileaks started publishing stolen state secrets and convinced others to join in the " revelation " game. Edward Snowden's contribution has put the cat amongst the pigeons in several world capitols.
Welcome to the " Real World ". Every country on this planet has a secret organization tasked with ferreting out trade secrets, discovering the hidden agenda of neighbouring countries and keeping track of subversive elements merged with the civilian population. The methods they use do not always mesh with the law and their country's network of embassies and trade missions provide useful cover.
Some may think it was unsporting to bug the East Timor delegation because their little country was a friend of Australia and it had just emerged from years of Indonesian occupation. They were certainly naive not to have their meeting room swept for bugs, but when a treasure of $ 40 billion is involved, that old maxim of " Nice guys come last " applies.
Now we have a new scandal. ASIO has raided the office of Bernard Collaery, the lawyer engaged by East Timor to present it's case in the Hague. Documents seized may reveal the legal tactics to be used in his presentation and this seems to intrude on the legal privilege accorded to opposing lawyers. The Australian government claims that " National security matters " are involved.
It seems that Collaery got his information from an ex-ASIS officer who carried out the bugging and who will probably be called to testify in the International court. If so, this person is in breach of the State Secrecy laws he signed when he worked for ASIS - and the breach could see him spend the rest of his life in prison. Australia has a right to find his identity - and bring him to account.
The work involved in what is loosely termed " Security matters " is both messy and devious and takes no prisoners. We spy on others - both friends and foes - and they spy on us.
It will be much harder to keep the lid on leaks now that a pattern of " informing " has emerged and as a consequence there will be constant friction between states. In most cases, the accuser is using exactly the same tactics !
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