British diplomat to head MI6

LONDON, June 16 (UPI) -- Sir John Sawers, a longtime diplomat serving as Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, was named head of the British spy agency MI6 Tuesday.

The appointment is a change from tradition, Financial Times reported. In the past the "chief" of MI6, or the Secret Intelligence Service, has been an insider with a long career in espionage and intelligence.

Sawers replaces Sir John Scarlett, who led MI6 for five years. Scarlett's retirement this year had been anticipated.

The handover is scheduled for early November, The Independent reported.

A government source told the Times Sawers worked briefly for MI6 in the late 1990s. Most of his career has been in the open, including a stint as a top adviser to former Prime Minister Tony Blair and service as a negotiator for the Foreign Office.

Sawers was the special British envoy to Iraq after the 2003 invasion.

His new position has a romantic reputation. The head of MI6 is usually referred to as "C" by agency staffers, which Ian Fleming turned into "M," James Bond's boss, and John Le Carre into "Control."

Critics charged MI6 with manipulating intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion.