Hey, I've got an idea! Let's bring back Bush's Ari and Blair's Allistair. Have the two pro-war presidential and prime ministerial mouthpieces really gone to where all the flowers have gone? Any GOPwinger advocating this Iraq war has to ask why did Bush and Blair both release their mouthpieces from further duty?
>>> So, just as Hutton is about to announce the findings of his investigation, there is a rising clamour for yet another inquiry – this time not dealing with the death of just one whistle-blowing government scientist, but rather with the deaths of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children and hundreds of American and British troops.
FOUR QUESTIONS HUTTON MUST ANSWER
1 Did the government ‘sex up’ the September 24 dossier justifying war against Saddam Hussein?
We know the document was changed by John Scarlett, chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, at the suggestion of Blair’s spin-meister Alastair Campbell and other aides. Campbell suggested 15 changes, including one to a passage claiming Iraq “may be able” to deploy WMD within 45 minutes, which he described as “weak”. Scarlett changed it to “are able to”.
2 Did the BBC Today reporter Andrew Gilligan exaggerate comments made by Kelly and was the BBC wrong in standing by them?
It is not clear whether Kelly specifically blamed Campbell for inserting the 45-minute claim, as Gilligan claimed. It is known that BBC executives had reservations about Gilligan’s use of language and that the board of governors defended the report without knowing of those reservations. However, it is also clear that most of the claims in Gilligan’s report have been shown to be true.
3 Was David Kelly given adequate protection by his superiors after he told them he had talked to Gilligan?
Richard Hatfield, MoD personnel director, said he had given “outstanding support” to Kelly. Kelly himself told journalist Nick Rufford that he had been “put through the wringer” by Hatfield and other MoD officials. It’s clear that while Kelly had been warned that the media were likely to name him as Gilligan’s source, he was not told that a decision had been taken to confirm his name to any journalist who put it to the MoD.
4 Who was responsible for the strategy of confirming Kelly as Gilligan’s source?
Campbell and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon wanted his name out. Sir Kevin Tebbit, the MoD’s most senior civil servant, told the inquiry the PM approved the strategy . Blair had earlier denied authorising Kelly’s naming but later said he took ‘‘full responsibility’’ for the government’s decisions.<<<
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