Spy chiefs make no secret of cash crisis - [don't they alway's] By MICHAEL CLARKE Two spymasters made an official plea for more money in the fight against the nation's enemies at home and abroad, it was revealed last night. Stephen Lander and Richard Dearlove have told the Intelligence and Security Committee that cash shortages could seriously undermine their work. Mr Lander is director general of M15 - responsible for tackling espionage, terrorism, and serious crime within Britain. He has told the committee in secret evidence sessions that his budget was too low to maintain the battle against organised crime. Mr Dearlove, who as head of M16 is responsible for spying and counter-espionage abroad, echoed his call, saying the future would be 'challenging'. Chancellor Gordon Brown has given the agencies a secret three-year cash settlement, part of the £740-million total annual budget for intelligence and security work. The influential committee heard that despite the settlement the two secret services risk running out of money within two years unless more cash is provided. Former Defence Secretary Tom King, chairman of the committee wanted to publish the figures yesterday to show the scale of the problem. But Tony Blair overruled him and insisted they be kept under wraps because of their sensitive nature. The espionage bosses warned that while they could cope for a while, by 2001 their operations would struggle to stay effective. M16 has already bought new computers to enable staff to move away from backroom tasks to front-line work. Undercover agents are infiltrating cocaine rings run from Colombia and the heroin smuggling networks set up by Turkish gangs. They track the drugs as they move from South America and Asia into Europe via Spain and Turkey before ending up for sale on British streets. But their efforts risk being undermined by the cash squeeze. M15 is facing similar problems, with a threat from breakaway IRA and loyalist terrorist groups and Islamic fundamentalists. Also hit could be the operations to catch the 'godfathers' who run rackets in illegal immigrants. Mr King said the figures for the two services were 'alarming' and needed to be reviewed. 'If these figures are real, they have got problems,' he added. He also called for secret agents to be given new powers to break up organised crime rings outside Britain, instead of waiting for drugs and illegal immigrants to arrive at our ports and airports. ====================== Daily Mail, Friday November 26, 1999
