The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links

Last weekend the Mail on Sunday broke the news that MI5 had vetoed Baroness Pauline Neville Jones’ appointment as Cameron’s National Security Advisor over concerns about her links to two dubious Russian oligarchs. Essentially, MI5 were apparently worried that, amongst other things, she has sat on the Executive Council of an American security think-tank, the International Intelligence Summit, which is heavily sponsored by Mikhail Chernoy.

Chernoy is banned from entering the US due to allegations of illegal business deals and links to the Russian mafia. It is worth noting that while she was apparently happy to be involved with a Chernoy-sponsored event, two former Directors of the CIA pulled out of the event and resigned from the Summit because of Chernoy’s involvement.

In May, Left Foot Forward reported more doubts about the Baroness, in particular her calls for greater military intervention in UK home affairs, while The Guardian has also delved into her past, investigating her involvement with former Serbian president and war crimes suspect Slobodan Milosevic, with members of the Serbian opposition believing a telecoms deal she had brokered “supplied Milosevic with the war chest for his Kosovo campaign”.

It now appears that the Baroness has attempted a remarkably ham-fisted cover-up of her involvement with the International Intelligence Summit and the dodgy Mr Chernoy; here she is on the list of Speaker and Organisers of the 2006 Summit on the original website, and here is how that page looks now:

Spot the difference? Given that she’s a former spook you would have thought that she’d do a better job of covering her tracks… Whatever next, spies losing laptops on the tube?!

http://twitter.com/soapboxlabouruk/status/21496439377 SoapboxLabourUK

RT @leftfootfwd: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM
Liz McShane

There’s also quite a difference in the photo of Cdr Richard Marcinko (bottom row, right). In 2006 he’s fairly ‘tooled’ up/’rambo-like’ in military gear and fatigues but has gone for a more ‘civi’ look since the original 2006 pics!

A deft bit of airbrushing as well as a disappearing act!
http://twitter.com/andrewwright2/status/21496992505 Andrew Wright

RT @leftfootfwd: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM
http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/21498639794 Will Straw

Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover her links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/lukebozier/status/21498888212 Luke Bozier

Ridiculous. RT @wdjstraw Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover her links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/tom_watson/status/21498976633 tom_watson

RT @wdjstraw: Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover her links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/paul_r_kenny/status/21499307717 Paul Kenny

RT @wdjstraw: Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover her links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/councillortudor/status/21499439055 Tudor Evans

RT @LukeBozier: Ridiculous. RT @wdjstraw Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover her links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM (via …
http://twitter.com/iandunt/status/21499785170 Ian

RT @leftfootfwd: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links http://bit.ly/dyXliM
http://twitter.com/maenllwyd/status/21500098604 Dominic Smith

RT wdjstraw Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover her links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM <- I thought spies were honest types
http://twitter.com/nadiashanaz/status/21500258878 Nadia

RT @wdjstraw Top Tory Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover her links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/jordannewell/status/21500516740 Jordan Newell

RT @wdjstraw: Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover her links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/ns_mehdihasan/status/21501235878 Mehdi Hasan

RT @shamikdas: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/tamsinchan/status/21501351405 Tam Chandler

RT @shamikdas: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/onthesauce/status/21501420607 the-sauce.org

RT @shamikdas: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/nicksherrard/status/21501629907 Nick Sherrard

@Konnolsky what are your views on this? RT: @Shamikdas Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/konnolsky/status/21501748312 Pavel Konnolsky

RT @NickSherrard: @Konnolsky what are your views on this? RT: @Shamikdas Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/andy_s_64/status/21502058266 Andy Sutherland

RT @shamikdas: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/yorkierosie/status/21502262992 yorkierosie

RT @leftfootfwd: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM
http://twitter.com/hitchineng/status/21510041107 Hitchin England

The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM via @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/m_khaku/status/21512614962 m_khaku

RT @shamikdas: The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/lockpickernet/status/21538355674 LockPickerNet

The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM via @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/lockpickernet/status/21549603789 LockPickerNet

The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM via @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/drkmj/status/21552960371 DrKMJ

The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links: http://bit.ly/dyXliM via @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/brixtonalex/status/21561040668 Alex Holland

@leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/bKlPR2 More concern on Tory National Security minister. My original LFF piece on her here: http://bit.ly/dcd72G
http://twitter.com/riprap007/status/21576426395 Nicholas Ripley

The vanishing baroness: Top Tory tries to cover up Russian oligarch links http://bit.ly/9vynvf /cc @feedly
http://twitter.com/brixtonalex/status/21605720945 Alex Holland

@leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/bKlPR2 More concern on Tory National Security minister. My original LFF piece on her here: http://bit.ly/dcd72G
http://twitter.com/jonnytench/status/21678372113 Jonathan Tench

Shouldn't we have seen this coming? RT @CycloRob Pauline Neville-Jones fails to cover links with Russian oligarchs http://bit.ly/dyXliM