Guilty: Iran spy who put lives at risk

THE British commander in Afghanistan's interpreter was convicted at the Old Bailey today of spying for Iran.

The court was told that if Daniel James had not been stopped he could have cost British lives and "threatened the interior national security of the UK".

James was found guilty of sending emails to the Iranian embassy military assisant in Kabul, Colonel Mohammed Heydari, containing information which "was calculated to be or might be useful to an enemy" under the Offical Secrets Act.

But the jury is still considering whether James illegally had secrets which an enemy would find useful and also wilfully offered his services to a foreign power.

Tehran-born James met Heydari when he accompanied General Sir David Richards to a meeting at the Iranian embassy in Kabul in August 2006. In September the father-of-one and Heydari started contacting each other and in November James opened an email account under a false name and used an internet café in Brighton to pledge: "I am at your service."

He was arrested in December 2006 and police allegedly found the USB memory stick containing a daily update on military operations in Afghanistan, including movements of troops and intelligence of insurgent activity.

The trial continues.