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WORLD SPOOKS JOB FOR HOWARD

Michael Howard is to become Chairman of the European branch of a corporate espionage company .

Mr Howard, who is stepping down as an MP at the next general election, is joining Diligence, the New York-based security and risk consultancy, in the newly created role of chairman of its European operation.

This is 64 year old Mr Howard's first directorship since stepping down as leader of the Conservative party last year.

The company, set up by former members of the Central Intelligence Agency and MI5 in 2000, has European offices in Berlin, Brussels, London and Moscow.

He will be working a minimum of half a day a week for  Diligence, a private company which has offices in Washington, Miami and Baghdad.

The company provides services ranging from business intelligence to private security services. Its Iraq office specialises in areas such as personal and convoy protection.

Diligence is headed by Richard Burt, a former US ambassador to Germany and assistant secretary of state. Mr Howard will sit o­n the company’s advisory board, which is chaired by William Webster, a former director of the CIA.