Former Blair Minister Says UK Bugged UN:

Britain spied on the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in the run-up to the Iraq war, a former British cabinet minister, Clare Short, said yesterday.

Ms Short: "Well, I know. I've seen transcripts of Kofi Annan's conversations. In fact I've had conversations with Kofi in the run-up to war, thinking: 'Oh dear, there will be a transcript of this and people will see what he and I are saying.' "

Interviewer: "So in other words, British spies ... have been instructed to carry out operations within the UN on people like Kofi Annan."

Ms Short: "Yes, absolutely."

Interviewer: "Did you know about this when you were in government?"

Ms Short: "Absolutely. I read some of the transcripts of the accounts of his conversations."

Interviewer: "Is this legal?"

Ms Short: "I don't know. I presume so. It's odd. I don't know about the legalities."