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20/02/2008
MI6 'Didn't Kill Diana'
The Secret Service, MI6, didn't kill Princess Diana.
The agency's former boss has formally denied claims that the intelligence service murdered the Princess of Wales.
Today, at the long-running inquest into her death, Sir Richard Dearlove insisted he had "not been aware of MI6 assassinating anyone in his 38-year career there".
He also denied claims made by Harrod's boss Mohamed Al Fayed this week that Diana was killed by MI6 on the orders of the Queen's husband, Prince Philip.
Mr Al Fayed's son Dodi and driver Henri Paul were also killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.
Sir Richard told the inquest that this was a "very personal allegation" given his role at the Secret Intelligence Service - otherwise known as MI6 - at the time.
He was MI6's director of operations from 1994 to 1999, and served as head of the agency from 1999 to 2004.
He denied that any assassinations took place under his authority.
Ian Burnett QC, for the coroner, asked him: "During the whole of your time in SIS, from 1966 to 2004, were you ever aware of the service assassinating anyone?"
Sir Richard replied: "No, I was not."
He added that the service was legally required to seek authorisation from the Foreign Secretary to carry out any operation which involved breaking the law.
He insisted that the service did not seek any such authorisation regarding the princess in 1997, and any such operation would have been "outside the functions of SIS".
Mr Burnett read sections of the Intelligence Services Commissioner's report from that year which listed all authorisations given to MI6. None related to Princess Diana.
Mr Burnett said: "Are you able to confirm from your own knowledge it follows from what you have said, that no authorisation was sought in respect of any activities concerning Princess Diana?"
Sir Richard replied: "I can absolutely confirm that."
(BMcC)
The agency's former boss has formally denied claims that the intelligence service murdered the Princess of Wales.
Today, at the long-running inquest into her death, Sir Richard Dearlove insisted he had "not been aware of MI6 assassinating anyone in his 38-year career there".
He also denied claims made by Harrod's boss Mohamed Al Fayed this week that Diana was killed by MI6 on the orders of the Queen's husband, Prince Philip.
Mr Al Fayed's son Dodi and driver Henri Paul were also killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.
Sir Richard told the inquest that this was a "very personal allegation" given his role at the Secret Intelligence Service - otherwise known as MI6 - at the time.
He was MI6's director of operations from 1994 to 1999, and served as head of the agency from 1999 to 2004.
He denied that any assassinations took place under his authority.
Ian Burnett QC, for the coroner, asked him: "During the whole of your time in SIS, from 1966 to 2004, were you ever aware of the service assassinating anyone?"
Sir Richard replied: "No, I was not."
He added that the service was legally required to seek authorisation from the Foreign Secretary to carry out any operation which involved breaking the law.
He insisted that the service did not seek any such authorisation regarding the princess in 1997, and any such operation would have been "outside the functions of SIS".
Mr Burnett read sections of the Intelligence Services Commissioner's report from that year which listed all authorisations given to MI6. None related to Princess Diana.
Mr Burnett said: "Are you able to confirm from your own knowledge it follows from what you have said, that no authorisation was sought in respect of any activities concerning Princess Diana?"
Sir Richard replied: "I can absolutely confirm that."
(BMcC)
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