We write to ask for clarification of the allegations that have recently been published about you by London Greenpeace and the Guardian.

Spinwatch has – from the very beginning in 2004 – been involved in investigating the infiltration of activist groups by the forces of the state, corporations and the private security industry.  One of the earliest cases we examined was the infiltration of London Greenpeace, with which you have reportedly been associated. Since then we have done extended work on the infiltration of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (The Threat Response Spy Files) and most recently on the 2010/11 case of police spy Mark Kennedy. We have done this work in close collaboration with the activists who have been infiltrated, destabilized and betrayed. Spinwatch stands in solidarity with the infiltrated.

 We acknowledge the positive role you have played in the last few years in the debates around Islam and multiculturalism..  You have demonstrated your active solidarity with victims of Islamophobia and have – at some risk to yourself of opprobrium and worse – defended the approach of open engagement between the police and Muslim groups (and the anti-war movement).  This you have often contrasted with what we call a 'counter-subversion' approach, which has involved the targeting of politically active Muslims and the scapegoating of the entire Muslim community. This  ‘counter subversion’ approach also entails spying on Muslims and political campaigners and indeed  the infiltration and destabilization of entirely legitimate political campaigns identified as a 'subversive' threat.

The allegations against you are that you were yourself involved in infiltration of the London Greenpeace group in the 1980s and in a number of other cases as well as running agents in such operations.* These allegations go further than allegations of spying – to suggest deep and long term infiltration.  Without repeating all of the allegations here, we note that there seems to us a contradiction between your more recent work and your alleged previous work, which has potentially extremely serious consequences for your credibility.

Consequently, we think that you need to make a public statement confirming or denying the specific allegations so far made public.  In addition, if any of the allegations are true, you need to give an account of what you now think of your previous activities.  We repeat: In our view your current activities and your alleged past activities are not compatible.  If you now disavow any previous activities, you should also publically apologise to the activists who you allegedly betrayed.

Yours,

David Miller, for Spinwatch.org

* The London Greenpeace leaflet: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2011/10//486878.odt; See also Rob Evans and Paul Lewis 'Progressive academic Bob Lambert is former police spy' guardian.co.uk, Sunday 16 October 2011 21.30 BST  http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/16/academic-bob-lambert-former-police-spy