Sawers' MI6 appointment surprising

LONDON, June 17 (UPI) -- The naming of British diplomat John Sawers as new chief of the spy agency MI6 is a surprise move because he is an outsider, analysts say.

Sawers, the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations has close ties to the Labor Party leadership. This week, he became the first outsider to head MI6 in more than 40 years, replacing the retiring John Scarlett, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

Analysts told The Times the hiring of Sawers as MI6's new "C," rather than the agency's current deputy chief, means the government has gone for a trusted Whitehall insider to run the spy operation at a time when torture allegations against terrorism suspects are being investigated by police, bringing the agency firmly under the control of Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"There has always been a battle between No. 10 (Downing Street) and the Foreign Office over who is in charge of foreign policy, and this appointment will give the prime minister the chance to deploy Sir John for covert diplomacy, making use of a man who is unquestionably a Grade One ambassador, not a spook," an unnamed government source told the newspaper.

Sawers was Prime Minister Tony Blair's foreign policy adviser in 1999-2001.