SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: Raymond Duray who wrote (446928)8/24/2003 2:01:49 AM
From: laura_bush  Read Replies (1) of 769667
 
Revealed: how ministers tried to gag David Kelly

By Raymond Whitaker, Jo Dillon
and Kim Sengupta

24 August 2003
The Government went to extraordinary lengths to
gag Dr David Kelly because of fears that he
would expose fundamental flaws in its case for
war.

Documents released yesterday by the Hutton
inquiry into the scientist's death reveal that the
Ministry of Defence was even prepared to block a
police investigation into a secrets leak.
Under the plan, Scotland Yard's Special Branch
was to be prevented from interviewing Dr Kelly
and anyone else who had discussed his doubts
about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass
destruction
.
A confidential memo between two senior security
officials in the MoD shows the extent to which the
Government was prepared to go in its efforts to
silence Dr Kelly.

Ian Barrow, of the Directorate of Safety and
Security, wrote to John Cochrane of Defence
Security - after discussing the matter with the
MoD's director of personnel, Richard Hatfield: "We
are to resist any attempt by the police to interview
Kelly or anyone else who has interviewed him."

The intervention came during a top-level
investigation into secret documents relating to
Saddam Hussein and al-Qa'ida, which had been
passed on to the BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan.
The memo went on to say that the police should
be stopped from interviewing Dr Kelly "on the
grounds that this should be outside the scope of
MPSB [Metropolitan Police Special Branch] support
for the inquiry into the ... document leak".

The newly released papers also show that Geoff
Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence,
pressurised the Intelligence and Security
Committee not to question Dr Kelly about his
views on the Iraq weapons dossier.

In a letter to the committee chair, Ann Taylor, Mr
Hoon said: "I presume Dr Kelly will be questioned
only on the matters which are directly relevant to
the claims made by Andrew Gilligan and not the
wider issue of Iraqi WMD and the preparation of
the dossier."

Continues..........

news.independent.co.uk
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News