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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: maceng2 who wrote (107596)	7/25/2003 2:38:20 PM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

So now if the Government publishes Gilligan's lies, he will commit suicide? Give me a break! Looks like BBC is going to have to eat a lot of crow. BBC chief intervenes on Gilligan health fears By James Blitz, Tim Burt and Jean Eaglesham - NEW YORK TIMES The publication of evidence from the BBC journalist at the heart of the David Kelly affair was delayed yesterday following a personal plea from the corporation's chairman that publication might affect the journalist's health. In a surprise move, the Commons foreign affairs select committee said it would not publish the transcript of last Thursday's evidence session with BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan that ended with the committee expressing serious doubts about his reliability as a witness. Although the committee had pledged to publish the evidence this week, it reluctantly decided not to do so after Gavyn Davies, the BBC chairman, privately contacted Donald Anderson, the committee's chairman. According to a committee member, the FAC had no choice but to heed Mr Davies' concern. "There appear to be compassionate grounds not to publish the evidence. We're in a situation here where if we publish the evidence and something happens to Mr Gilligan we'd be in a very difficult situation," said a committee member. Mr Davies' office said the BBC chairman had told Mr Anderson in a letter that Mr Gilligan was "stressed". Following the evidence session with Mr Gilligan, Mr Anderson described the BBC reporter as "an unsatisfactory witness", especially relating to the allegation he has made that Alastair Campbell, the prime minister's media chief, added a claim in last September's weapons of mass destruction dossier that Iraq could fire WMD within 45 minutes of giving an order. One of the critical questions that the transcript of Mr Gilligan's evidence might answer is to what extent the journalist stated that the notion that Mr Campbell added the 45 minute claim was based on "a reasonable inference" or hard fact. Yesterday's decision by the FAC came as the government appeared to have been spared the prospect of live television coverage of this summer's judicial grilling of Tony Blair, Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary and Mr Campbell. Lord Hutton, the inquiry chairman, does not intend to allow the evidence of witnesses to his inquiry into the apparent suicide of Mr Kelly to be filmed or broadcast, Lee Hughes, the inquiry's secretary, said yesterday. The press will be allowed otherwise unlimited access to the public hearings and transcripts will be available "almost immediately", Mr Hughes said. The inquiry, originally expected to start this week, is now unlikely to begin before next week at the earliest. Mr Hughes said it was too early to set a date for the first public hearing, as the arrangements for Mr Kelly's funeral have not yet been confirmed. nytimes.com