A British soldier found guilty of spying for Iran while working for Britain's top commander in Afghanistan was jailed for 10 years today.
Corporal Daniel James (45), passed on details of Nato troop movements in 2006 to an Iranian military attache during his term as an interpreter to General Sir David Richards.
James, who was born in Iran and changed his name from Esmail Mohammed Beigi Gamasai, was convicted of communicating information to an enemy under Britain's Official Secrets Act earlier this month.
Judge Justice Roderick Evans said at the Old Bailey criminal court in London that James had damaged the trust between Nato, the Afghan government and other allies fighting the Taliban.
James had made telephone contact with Colonel Mohammad Hossein Heydari, who worked as Iran's military attache at its embassy in Kabul and sent him coded messages in emails. He was arrested in December 2006 after his emails were intercepted.
In one message signed "Esmail the interpreter" he told the Iranian military envoy that forces were setting up camp on the northern Iran-Iraq border.
"All the ground forces are there. Take care of that side ... Any other work that you may have, I am at your service."
Justice Evans said the most serious aspect of James' offence was that he committed it while serving in a war zone.
"In a theatre of war where your colleagues were daily at risk of being injured or killed. This offence was further aggravated because you believed that the Iranians were supporting the insurgents," he said.
The judge added that although no real harm was done, the potential damage would have been "immense" if James had not been caught and the relationship with his Iranian contact had continued.
James became a British citizen in 1986 and worked as salsa dance teacher, casino croupier and nightclub bouncer.
Styling himself as "General James", the former Mr Universe contestant believed he had been denied military promotion because of racism and jealousy, the jury heard.
Reuters