UK spy chiefs have condemned leaks by whistleblower Edward Snowden, telling parliament that they play into the hands of Britain’s enemies.<br /><br /> In their first ever joint public appearance at an unprecedented committee hearing, they slammed the disclosures of the ex-US intelligence contractor.<br /><br /> “The leaks from Snowden have been very damaging,” said Sir John Sawers, the head of MI6, the foreign Secret Intelligence Service.<br />“They put our operations at risk. It’s clear that our adversaries are rubbing their hands with glee. Al Qaeda is lapping it up.”<br /><br /> He was joined by Sir Iain Lobban, the director of Britain’s electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ and Andrew Parker, the head of the domestic security service MI5. <br /><br /> In the past, such hearings have been held behind closed doors. <br /><br /> Sir John distanced the intelligence services from Britain’s most famous fictional spy – saying agents were not sent out in isolation like James Bond. But results were announced that 007 would be proud of – with 34 terror plots said to have been thwarted since the suicide attacks on London’s transport system in 2005.
