Because you can't have depths without surfaces.
Linda Grant, thinking about clothes, books and other matters.
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Net-a-porter UK

Thursday 21 February 2008

An apology to my American readers


The name is Bond, James Bond

For the past forty or so years we in Britain may have given you the impression that our security services are staffed by devilishly handsome, impeccably tailored men in Aston Martins who exclusively drink martinis shaken not stirred and who have a license to kill.

Due to the the subpoenaing of the retired head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove, to the inquest of Princess Diana yesterday, we must now concede that this is not the case:

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.

actor

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are there no SUPER-secret agents that DO dress like James Bond?

Anonymous said...

If the UK doesn't have James Bond, does that mean that we in the US don't have Jason Bourne?

And why do you get the sexy macho ficitonal secret agent and we get the sexy psychotic fictional secret agent? Or is this a function of generational angst, rather than national stereotypes?

Anonymous said...

I'm shaken, but unstirred!

L said...

Ah, but power is still attractive, no? Just the fact that he is British appeals to me as an American.

Genuine Lustre said...

Refusing to leave my Daniel Craig et.al. fantasyland.........

Miss Janey said...

Daniel Craig is still the 007 Miss J would most prefer to be in danger with.