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Anti-war campaigners to publish `Alternative Hutton Report`

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Jan 24, IRNA -- Peace campaigners are planning to exacerbate 
the plight facing Prime Minister Tony Blair when Lord Hutton publishes
his report into the death of former Iraq arms inspector David Kelly on
Wednesday by pressing their own case for an inquiry. 
The `Stop the War Coalition` has called for a lobby of parliament 
to coincide with Blair making a statement about Lord Hutton`s findings
and publish its own alternative report to answer questions that are 
not being addressed by the remit of the Kelly inquiry. 
National Convenor of Britain`s umbrella peace group, Lindsey 
German, says that the inquiry, which has been 193 days in the making, 
"is nothing but a sideshow" and will ultimately fail to address the 
central reasons why Britain joined the Iraq war in the first place. 
"Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Were we lied to when 
we were told that Saddam could launch chemical attacks in forty-five 
minutes? Has the war in Iraq reduced international terrorism, as we 
were told it would?" should be the main questions, she said. 
Hutton`s report is limited to the circumstances leading to 
Kelly`s death last July and is expected to criticise the government`s 
behaviour in using the arms inspector in its battle against BBC 
allegations that Iraq`s threat was exaggerated to justify the war. 
But, the consensus of opinion among analysts is that Blair is 
unlikely to be forced out of office, even though his Defence 
Secretary Geoff Hoon may have to resign. 
`Stop the War Coalition` said the millions of people mobilised in 
the biggest ever peace demonstrations seen in Britain last year 
against the war would be left frustrated by the report that was 
doomed from when it was called by the prime minister six months ago. 
It repeated its demand for a full, independent inquiry into why 
the UK was dragged into the war, which since its start has caused the 
deaths of thousands of American and British soldiers and Iraqi 
civilians. 
HC/BH/212