Former British intelligence chief calls Corbyn’s closest aide ‘national security risk’

Corbyn’s top aide has expressed support for the PLO and Hamas.

By David Jablinowitz, World Israel News 

A former head of the British MI6 intelligence service has warned that opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn’s closest aide would have to be sacked for reasons of national security should the Labour leader become prime minister, The Mail on Sunday has reported.

Sir Richard Dearlove reportedly said that the aide, Seumas Milne, had “no chance” of getting security clearance to see classified documents because of his links to terrorists and political extremists over the course of decades.

The British newspaper says that the warning came in response to its investigation uncovering new evidence of “Milne’s long-standing ties to Middle Eastern militia groups and his support for Kremlin-sponsored aggression.”

Sir Richard, who led the Secret Intelligence Service MI6 from 1999 to 2004, told The Mail on Sunday that if Labour won an election, Corbyn would have to cut off all contact with his director of communications and strategy.

The 60-year-old Milne, a former Guardian journalist, has been described by Labour insiders as “Corbyn’s brain” because of his enormous influence, says The Mail on Sunday.

According to the paper, in his writings, Milne has repeatedly expressed support for terrorists: “First, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and, more recently, Hamas.” A Labour source insisted, the newspaper says, that Milne does not endorse the Hamas charter to wipe Israel off the map.

It reports that Milne has “parroted” Kremlin propaganda since he became business manager at the Straight Left newspaper in 1979, and “has defended Russian aggression against its neighbors”  since the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan to its continuing campaign against Ukraine.

The Mail on Sunday also reports that John Sipher, the former head of the CIA’s Russia division, said he had “no doubt” that keeping Milne would damage Britain’s special relationship with the United States.

“If there was a legitimate concern that Mr. Corbyn would include Mr. Milne in intelligence-related discussions, the U.S. would likely share less of its most sensitive information,” Sipher said.

However, a Labour source said Sir Richard’s concerns were “smears” designed to damage Labour’s electoral chances, and that he had “no credibility” because he helped produce the intelligence that led to war in Iraq, said The Mail on Sunday.