Lord Turnbull, who was Cabinet secretary in the run up to the Iraq war, told the Chilcot Inquiry into the war that there were important differences between the final legal opinion Lord Goldsmith (the then Attorney General) presented to the Cabinet and an earlier version he gave privately to Tony Blair.
"It was not, in my view, a summary of what had been produced 10 days earlier. It was materially different in some respects because of the passage of time.
Certain things had changed."
Why such large changes over such a short period of time?
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Campbell Finds God
Alastair Campbell claims on his blog today that he found a passage from the Bible to be useful, wrt preparing him to face the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war yesterday.
Doubtless God, were he/she to exist, would be pleased to have helped out!
Given the fact that Campbell has spent his working life in/with/using the media, he doesn't seem to like the media very much.
Signs of self loathing perhaps?
Doubtless God, were he/she to exist, would be pleased to have helped out!
Given the fact that Campbell has spent his working life in/with/using the media, he doesn't seem to like the media very much.
Signs of self loathing perhaps?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
We Are Absolutely With You
Alastair Campbell (Tony Blair's ex spin doctor) is facing the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war.
He has told the inquiry that Blair wrote to the US president in 2002, assuring him of Britain's support. According to Campbell the essence of the message was:
"We share the analysis.
We share the concern.
We are absolutely with you in making sure that Saddam Hussein faces up to his obligations, and that Iraq is disarmed.
If that can't be done diplomatically, and it has to done militarily, we would definitely be there.
That is the tenor of his communications with the president."
He also denied claims made by Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's then ambassador to the US, about Blair's meeting with George Bush at Crawford in April 2002.
"If you are saying to me 'Do I agree with Christopher Meyer's analysis that at Crawford the Prime Minister shifted his position from one of containment and disarmament through the UN to one of regime change?'
I don't.
I don't accept this analysis that at Crawford there was a fundamental shift in approach and policy by the Prime Minister."
For good measure he also made sure that Gordon Brown could not wriggle free of responsibility, by noting that Blair talked to Brown a lot about Iraq.
He has told the inquiry that Blair wrote to the US president in 2002, assuring him of Britain's support. According to Campbell the essence of the message was:
"We share the analysis.
We share the concern.
We are absolutely with you in making sure that Saddam Hussein faces up to his obligations, and that Iraq is disarmed.
If that can't be done diplomatically, and it has to done militarily, we would definitely be there.
That is the tenor of his communications with the president."
He also denied claims made by Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's then ambassador to the US, about Blair's meeting with George Bush at Crawford in April 2002.
"If you are saying to me 'Do I agree with Christopher Meyer's analysis that at Crawford the Prime Minister shifted his position from one of containment and disarmament through the UN to one of regime change?'
I don't.
I don't accept this analysis that at Crawford there was a fundamental shift in approach and policy by the Prime Minister."
For good measure he also made sure that Gordon Brown could not wriggle free of responsibility, by noting that Blair talked to Brown a lot about Iraq.
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Sexed Up Dossier
Claims that Alastair Campbell, Blair's spin doctor, sexed up the Iraq dossier have resurfaced.
The Guardian claims that the dossier was changed, on the instructions of Alastair Campbell, to fit with claims from the US administration that were known to be false.
The pre-invasion dossier's worst-case estimate of how long it would take Iraq to acquire a nuclear weapon was shortened in response to a George Bush speech, from two years to one.
Campbell will appear before the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war tomorrow. Given his skills at handling an aggressive media, and the softness of the Chiclot panel, it is likely he will easily get through it unscathed.
The Guardian claims that the dossier was changed, on the instructions of Alastair Campbell, to fit with claims from the US administration that were known to be false.
The pre-invasion dossier's worst-case estimate of how long it would take Iraq to acquire a nuclear weapon was shortened in response to a George Bush speech, from two years to one.
Campbell will appear before the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war tomorrow. Given his skills at handling an aggressive media, and the softness of the Chiclot panel, it is likely he will easily get through it unscathed.
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