• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Justification of Iraq war still lacking

IRNA

2003/08/20

London, Aug 20, IRNA - Two weeks into the inquiry into the death of 
former Iraq arms inspector David Kelly, Prime Minister Tony Blair`s 
office continues to deny any wrongdoing in making the case to 
overthrow Saddam Hussein`s regime. 
It has also defended resolutely its bitter battle led against the 
BBC to counter accusations that the government exaggerated Iraq`s 
threat, but has still failed to justify the need for the pre-emptive 
war. 
Giving evidence to the inquiry on Tuesday, Blair`s Communications 
Director Alastair Campbell came armed with his diary notes of a 
detailed two-week timetable leading up to the publication of the 
government`s controversial dossier on Saddam`s arms last September. 
But noticeably missing from his account was Blair`s summit with US
President George W Bush at Camp David on September 8, when it was 
alleged the decision to launch the war was effectively agreed. 
The summit came in the middle of the crucial period in which the 
dossier, supposed to be based upon intelligence, was redrafted to 
emphasise Iraq`s threat and included the controversial assertion that 
Saddam could use weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes. 
But Campbell, who chaired discussions on the dossier, denied he 
had any role in the insertion of the 45 minutes claim, insisting that 
head of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), John Scarlett, who has
yet to be questioned, wanted "ownership" of the contents. 
"The credibility of this document depended fundamentally on it 
being the work of the JIC. That was the touchstone of our approach 
from that moment," he told head of the inquiry, Lord Hutton. 
Under its terms of reference, the inquiry is centred on the 
circumstances that led to the death of Kelly, who worked as an advisor
for the Defence Ministry and whose assumed suicide is linked with the 
government`s defence of the case for the Iraq war. 
In giving evidence, Blair`s Communications Director left the door 
open on the possibility of the government being censured over the 
handling of Kelly, by acknowledging that "all the proper support" had 
not been given to help him deal with the pressure. 
But he deflected criticism that the former Iraq arms inspector was
effectively being used as a pawn after being exposed as the possible 
whistleblower by blaming the Defence Ministry for ensuring that his 
identity "dribbled out" in a damaging way. 
By doing so, press reports Wednesday suggested that Campbell, 
Blair`s closest and longest-serving aide, had put Defence Secretary 
Geoff Hoon in the frame to be the fall-guy for Kelly. 
Reading from an entry in his diary, he quoted Hoon suggesting that
the government offer Kelly a "plea bargain" and added that the defence
secretary`s initial reaction was to deal with him "severely." 
The inquiry, which gives a unique insight into the inner workings 
of government, has yet to question Hoon, Blair and many other 
officials over the next few weeks. 
It is expected to be further drawn out and damage the reputations 
of both the government and the BBC with witnesses recalled for cross- 
examination, but it remains unlikely to answer the central dispute 
over the justification of the Iraq war. 
HC/211