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| Justin Welby's globetrotting adventures spark spook speculation | Justin Welby's globetrotting adventures spark spook speculation |
| (12 days later) | |
| If you can get past the admittedly unlikely conceit of a Church of England canon as a protagonist, reports of Justin Welby's pre-Canterbury career read rather like airport thrillers. | If you can get past the admittedly unlikely conceit of a Church of England canon as a protagonist, reports of Justin Welby's pre-Canterbury career read rather like airport thrillers. |
| During his time at Coventry cathedral, the oil man-turned-cleric focused on conflict negotiation and reconciliation, travelling to some of the world's most dangerous places – Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and the Palestinian territories – to broker deals and seek peaceful solutions. | During his time at Coventry cathedral, the oil man-turned-cleric focused on conflict negotiation and reconciliation, travelling to some of the world's most dangerous places – Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and the Palestinian territories – to broker deals and seek peaceful solutions. |
| As a recently published biography reveals, the archbishop's globetrotting adventures began in 1981 when he and his wife, Caroline, joined the Eastern European Bible Mission and embarked on a trip to help Christians persecuted under communism. | As a recently published biography reveals, the archbishop's globetrotting adventures began in 1981 when he and his wife, Caroline, joined the Eastern European Bible Mission and embarked on a trip to help Christians persecuted under communism. |
| The couple, who had been married for two years, loaded bibles into a secret compartment under the floor of a specially adapted camper van and drove to Nicolae Ceausescu's Romania where they posed as tourists to carry out their smuggling mission. | The couple, who had been married for two years, loaded bibles into a secret compartment under the floor of a specially adapted camper van and drove to Nicolae Ceausescu's Romania where they posed as tourists to carry out their smuggling mission. |
| The trip was a taste of things to come: 21 years later Welby became co-director of international ministry at Coventry cathedral with canon Andrew White, who is now the chaplain of St George's Anglican church in Baghdad. In May 2003 the two men drove from Jordan to Baghdad where they met the Coalition Provisional Authority, the transitional government after the invasion of Iraq, in Saddam Hussein's old Republican Palace and decided to reopen St George's. | The trip was a taste of things to come: 21 years later Welby became co-director of international ministry at Coventry cathedral with canon Andrew White, who is now the chaplain of St George's Anglican church in Baghdad. In May 2003 the two men drove from Jordan to Baghdad where they met the Coalition Provisional Authority, the transitional government after the invasion of Iraq, in Saddam Hussein's old Republican Palace and decided to reopen St George's. |
| The archbishop's later missions took him to Nigeria, from where he twice phoned his wife to ask her to pray for him as he felt he was in mortal danger, and where he was once told that the price on his head stood at $30. "I couldn't decided whether to be insulted or afraid," he said later. | The archbishop's later missions took him to Nigeria, from where he twice phoned his wife to ask her to pray for him as he felt he was in mortal danger, and where he was once told that the price on his head stood at $30. "I couldn't decided whether to be insulted or afraid," he said later. |
| Despite his humorous dismissal of the danger, those close to him dreaded the trips, with the archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, admitting: "My heart is in my mouth every time he goes to Nigeria." | Despite his humorous dismissal of the danger, those close to him dreaded the trips, with the archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, admitting: "My heart is in my mouth every time he goes to Nigeria." |
| Welby's apparent habit of popping up in trouble spots has recently given rise to speculation that he may be intimately connected with the security services. | Welby's apparent habit of popping up in trouble spots has recently given rise to speculation that he may be intimately connected with the security services. |
| The smoking gun, such as it is, appears to be a photo taken in Baghdad in 2003 in which Welby is pictured standing quite close to Sir John Sawers, who is now head of MI6 and was then the UK ambassador in Egypt and Britain's special representative to Iraq. | The smoking gun, such as it is, appears to be a photo taken in Baghdad in 2003 in which Welby is pictured standing quite close to Sir John Sawers, who is now head of MI6 and was then the UK ambassador in Egypt and Britain's special representative to Iraq. |
| But beguiling as the idea of an archbishop of Canterbury with a background in international espionage may be, it sadly gets little support from the relevant agencies. MI6 and MI5 never comment on the people who offer intelligence, regardless of whether the information comes from a paid "agent" as part of a formal arrangement or in a more informal, ad-hoc way. | But beguiling as the idea of an archbishop of Canterbury with a background in international espionage may be, it sadly gets little support from the relevant agencies. MI6 and MI5 never comment on the people who offer intelligence, regardless of whether the information comes from a paid "agent" as part of a formal arrangement or in a more informal, ad-hoc way. |
| There has been a degree of good-natured guffawing around Whitehall at the thought that Welby might be a spook, rather than any discernible nervousness that he is on the verge of being unmasked. Sources noted that when Welby was pictured in Iraq with Sawers, the latter was still an "above the line" diplomat sent by Downing Street and not a spy. | There has been a degree of good-natured guffawing around Whitehall at the thought that Welby might be a spook, rather than any discernible nervousness that he is on the verge of being unmasked. Sources noted that when Welby was pictured in Iraq with Sawers, the latter was still an "above the line" diplomat sent by Downing Street and not a spy. |
| Despite the brushoff, it is plausible that Welby's travels to far-flung and dangerous places put him in frequent touch with MI6 agents, though he may have been oblivious to the true nature of their work and unaware that anything he said may have ended up in a report back to London. | Despite the brushoff, it is plausible that Welby's travels to far-flung and dangerous places put him in frequent touch with MI6 agents, though he may have been oblivious to the true nature of their work and unaware that anything he said may have ended up in a report back to London. |
| Lambeth Palace was happy to clear up any misunderstandings about Welby's past. "The archbishop does not work for MI6 and has never had any association with them," a spokeswoman said. | Lambeth Palace was happy to clear up any misunderstandings about Welby's past. "The archbishop does not work for MI6 and has never had any association with them," a spokeswoman said. |
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