Romney’s meeting with the MI6 head was not on his public schedule. Reports: Romney broke MI6 silence

Mitt Romney made another gaffe on his London trip Thursday by acknowledging he met with the head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency, according to reports.

Romney’s meeting with MI6 head Sir John Sawers was not on the Republican’s public schedule — and Romney made a major blunder by revealing it, CBS News and The Guardian reported.


( Also on POLITICO: No gold medal for Mitt from British press)

“I can only say that I appreciated the insights and perspectives of the leaders of the government here and opposition here as well as the head of MI6 as we discussed Syria and the hope for a more peaceful future for that country,” Romney told reporters at a press conference Thursday.

Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office told CBS News that “Sir John Sawers meets many people, but we don’t give a running commentary on any of these private meetings.”

( See also PHOTOS: Romney in UK)

As The Guardian pointed out, MI6 was not officially acknowledged until 1994. “For our American readership, this isn’t like bragging you just met David Petraeus. The British take on the national secret intelligence service comes with an extra-heavy dollop of the whole secret thing,” the Guardian’s Tom McCarthy wrote.