Government officials included in UK`s Iraq `awards`
IRNA
London, Oct 31, IRNA - Several officials, who defended the government`s position in the inquiry into the death of former arms inspector David Kelly, were listed Friday among more than 374 servicemen and civilians given awards for the Iraq war. These included, Chief of the Assessment Staff, Cabinet Office, Julian Miller, who denied that the Prime Minister`s Office had exaggerated the government`s controversial dossier on Iraq`s arms threat, published in September 2002, to justify the case for war. Matthew Rycroft, a foreign policy expert in Tony Blair`s office, who played a key role in the strategy for the Iraq dossier, was also honoured. Another award was given to former political director of the Foreign Office, Peter Ricketts, who is now Britain`s ambassador to NATO and who believed Kelly should be named as the source of a BBC report, claiming the government exaggerated to case for the Iraq war. Also included in the list was chief press officers at the Defence Ministry, Kate Wilson, who admitted the BBC rang her before its report but denied being told about some of the allegations being made against the government about the Iraq dossier. The inquiry into the assumed suicide of Kelly is not due to be published until early next year, but it is widely expected to further damage the credibility of the government even if it does not lead to enforced ministerial resignations. The lawyer for the arms inspector`s family accused the government of "duplicity" in the way it treated Kelly before his death. In particular, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was said to have been "hypocritical" in using Kelly to discredit the BBC report. Over 300 of the awards were for service personnel and also controversial Colonel Tim Collins, who was cleared of committing war crimes, after allegations were made by US troops. HC/214 End
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