Questions that Alastair Campbell must answer

[T_i_B]

Since Campbell is in the Hutton dock today I will post this. I don't think that Campbell in the dock will be a pretty sight though. Make of this what you will.

http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/opinion.cfm?id=910322003

Most ominously, yesterday seemed to reveal a smoking gun regarding the genesis of this whole crisis: a series of e-mails between Campbell and Powell which suggests the September dossier was indeed doctored to some extent. On 5 September last year, Campbell e-mailed Powell that a "substantial re-write" was required of the draft dossier on the Iraqi threat, to include "real intelligence material". But on 17 September, Powell had to reply that the dossier still "does nothing to demonstrate a threat, let alone an imminent threat". Powell argues with Campbell: "We need to make clear in launching the document that we do not claim that we have evidence that he is an imminent threat."

Yet a week later, when the dossier was published, it contained a forward from Tony Blair saying Saddam was "a serious and current" threat. Of course, one can argue that "current" does not mean "imminent". But only if you are a master of spin like Alastair Campbell. Which requires Mr Campbell to answer a number of basic questions when he is interviewed today at the inquiry: (1) What did he mean by "substantial re-write"? (2) What role did he play in this re-write? (3) If the late drafts of the dossier still showed no imminent Iraqi threat, what was the provenance of the claim in the published document that Iraq had the potential to launch WMD in only 45 minutes? (4) In this context, what was "serious and current" meant to imply? (5) And finally, the ultimate question - what did Tony Blair know of these matters?

[NJCher]

1. Certainly looks like a plan to me.

I liked the line about a "cock up" instead of a conspiracy and the reference to reaching Powell while he was halfway up a rockface was amusing, too.

Keep these coming--I look forward to your posts every morning while this inquiry goes on.


Cher

[T_i_B]

2. In the meantime

Try this link. I really should post this link as a thread in GD.

http://www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk/