ROUTLEDGE: TAPE COULD SPELL END OF BLAIR
Aug 14 2003
Paul Routledge
THE net is closing on the merchants of death in Downing Street as witness after
witness gives damning testimony to the Hutton inquiry.
None was more damning yesterday than the voice of Dr David Kelly.
His taped conversation with Newsnight journalist Susan Watts establishes beyond
doubt that Alastair Campbell is in the frame for exaggerating the Government's
case for war against Iraq.
It was an eerie moment at the Royal Courts of Justice when the expert hounded to
his death was heard again.
The tape must have made Campbell's blood run cold - and that of Tony Blair and
his Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon.
They may be on holiday thousands of miles away, but their reputation is in the
dock right here in the Strand.
On past form, they are getting minute by minute briefings on the progress of their
trial. The No 10 communications machine is nothing if not efficient.
Too efficient, by half. Dr Kelly's testimony shows the original intelligence case for
invading Iraq WAS given top spin by New Labour media managers.
Intelligence experts have given evidence of their doubts about the final dossier
published by the PM as his pretext to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
Yesterday, Dr Kelly's "unease" about the overstated claims was confirmed in his
ghostly testimony.
People in Government saw what they wanted to see, he suggested. "They will see
it from their own standpoint. They may not even appreciate quite what they were
doing."
Even under fire, Dr Kelly was typically generous to his tormentors. As a scientist,
wedded to facts, he was unwilling to believe politicians would be so reckless,
self-serving and manipulative of intelligence for their own ends.
We know better, now. The September dossier drew heavily on intelligence
material. It also drew on the unrivalled spin abilities of Alastair Campbell.
It had to. If the facts were not frightening enough, they had to be made so.
A FEW days of evidence have destroyed the myth of "clean hands in Downing
Street." And the investigation is barely in its stride.
Tony Blair must be wondering what more there is to come. Of course, there is his
testimony and that of Alastair Campbell. Geoff Hoon will also seek to justify his
actions in allowing Dr Kelly's name to be disclosed to the media.
But this quasi-judicial process is already beyond their control. Lord Hutton's terms of
reference may be as tight as a knot. But this inquiry is taking on its own life.
Witnesses stray at will.
We are witnessing the slow motion death of this Government.
Who can now believe there was not something dodgy about the dossier that
claimed Saddam could fire weapons of mass destruction at 45 minutes' notice?
Dr Kelly insisted this just "popped up" during spooks' deliberations. But it was
clearly music to No10. Music to which they could set a seductive theme.
Now the lyrics are exposed as phoney. It will take a miracle of spin to restore faith
in Tony Blair's case for war.
What else did we learn yesterday from the Dr Kelly tape? "They would not pick on
me I don't think," he hoped.
Oh yes they would. Oh yes they did. He was the perfect fall guy.
For the first time Blair knows what it is like for his actions and those of his cohorts to
be examined independently, judiciously and without the covert help of media
backers. It could prove fatal. |
