Kosovo (Hansard, 5 April 2000)

§ The Earl of Caithness
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that NATO's plans in Kosovo are neither leaked nor placed on the Internet.

§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
My Lords, responsibility within NATO for ensuring that Alliance plans for Kosovo operations are neither leaked nor disseminated inappropriately rests with the NATO Office of Security. That organisation oversees comprehensive security measures at NATO headquarters in Brussels and elsewhere. The text which appeared on the Internet recently was caused by a benign virus; it was not a deliberate leak. The material, which is now unclassified, had already been shared with some other nations, including Russia, as well as civilian personnel in Kosovo.

§ The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, our bombing plans were leaked to the Serbs, and now we have the leak of a nine-page document on the rules of engagement for land operations—material which I understand was restricted and which the Minister says is now declassified. Does not that give the Government great cause for concern that our soldiers operating in Kosovo are being put in added danger? What action are the Government taking against the NATO Office of Security in regard to this matter?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, it is important to distinguish between the two sets of incidents to which the noble Earl refers. I hope that I have made it clear to the House that there was no deliberate leak of NATO information. The appearance of the text of the rules of engagement in Kosovo was, as I indicated, the result of a virus. The security classification, which was "NATO/KFOR confidential", appeared at the top of that text as the extract formed part of a larger document, but the creation was a genuine accident. The originator has been identified and appropriate disciplinary action has been taken.
The noble Earl then asked about other incidents where there have been allegations of spying. It is a matter for NATO; however, a NATO spokesman has indicated that there was no evidence of any leaks. Had there been such deliberate leaking in the way implied by the noble Earl, it is surprising that the Serbs did not 1304 make better use of that kind of information. Any compromising of security whatever is a matter of great concern. Where an individual has been identified, even though it was an accident, appropriate action has been taken.

§ Lord Hylton
My Lords, is it not essential that NATO's plans for such flashpoints as Mitrovica and the frontiers of southern Serbia should be kept absolutely secret? On the other hand, is it not important that NATO's determination to protect democracy and maintain the status quo in Montenegro should be made absolutely clear and public?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, of course it is enormously important that any NATO plans for the future handling of the situation in Kosovo—which, although immensely improved compared to the situation previously, is very volatile—have proper security, not least because there are many allied troops whose safety would otherwise be compromised. I assure the noble Lord that we are keeping a close eye on the situation in Montenegro. Mr Milosevic should be in no doubt whatever about that. He has caused enough trouble in the region already. We want Montenegro to have the right to choose its relationship with Serbia and we keep in very close touch with President Djukanovic and his government. I hope the noble Lord is reassured. There is enormous vigilance. He is quite right: NATO should remain secure.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, does the Minister agree that no one in the world has any power to stop the placing of material on the Internet? Does she further agree that when the courts purport to do so, as in the recent case of Demon Internet Limited, the effect is probably that the user takes the custom to foreign service providers?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, there are of course the issues raised by the noble Lord in relation to the Internet. What matters in the first place is the security of documents at their place of origin. That is why it is important that documents that are kept on computers are kept in such a way as not to compromise their security. In this country, the MoD continually reviews and seeks to improve our procedural and electronic security systems. We make sure that all MoD staff are required to read, agree and comply with the security operating system that is used in this country. In addition, we have laws that protect such information, as do our allies, including the United States, to ensure that this kind of information is not compromised by such things as freedom of information.

§ Lord Burnham
My Lords, what action are Her Majesty's Government taking to ensure that information which is rightly classified in this country is not freely available on the Internet in the United States due to the iniquitous freedom of information legislation in the US?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I indicated that the United States has clear laws on this matter, as we do. The United States freedom of information Act contains an exemption for information which is, properly classified in the interest of national defense or foreign policy". I believe that that includes the kind of information with which we are dealing here. It would be an offence in the United States, as it would be here, to compromise the security of that kind of information.