So that you don’t have to read through the UK broadsheets, here’s a summary of what I’ve learned about the political scandal over Iraq that is dominating the UK press:
In September 2002 the UK Government issues Iraq dossier which contains material know known to be false (if a statement which says that Iraq could be ready for a Chemical attack in 45 minutes was known to be false prior to publication and was inserted into document on the instruction of the Prime Minister, the consensus in the UK press is that Tony Blair may have to resign).
UK Government Iraq dossier issued in February is found to be plagiarized student material and generally full of crap.
No WMD’s found in Iraq to date, UK press starts to question original government evidence. Government concedes an inquiry.
Government spin doctors decide to feign outrage at press allegations over original dossier – which is less ‘dodgy’ – in an attempt to shift focus away from February document. In particular they demand an apology from the BBC for an article that claims that government spin doctor ‘sexed up’ dossier number 1. They do this during the ‘government’ inquiry into the same government’s case for war in Iraq. They demand that the BBC reveal the source of its allegations but the BBC refuses so the Ministry of Defense leaks the identity of the ‘mole’, David Kelly. The idea is that the Kelly will embarrass the BBC because, on his own, he will have to claim that the BBC fabricated part of their story. Kelly is put under huge pressure in the enquiry and claims that either the BBC exaggerated or that there was another source. It is possible that he realized that nobody in the government was going to stick up for him so he would end up having his integrity questioned if he told the full truth. He is a devoutly religious person and does not like lying. He kills himself under the pressure.
The government’s diversionary tactic from the ‘dodgy dossier’ has worked but the intent has backfired massively as a full public inquiry into the death of the government source is called.
The BBC takes the first hit. Since they reveal that Kelly was indeed the only source and since he had said that either they had exaggerated or had more than one source, they have been guilty of the same thing they had accused the government of – they had ‘sexed up’ the accusation of ‘sexing up’.
It turns out that Kelly had given another interview to a journalist which had been recorded – the head of the BBC smiles when he hears it – the inference is that Kelly may have been telling the truth in the first place and not to the parliamentary committee.
The governement has two choices: do nothing; discredit Kelly. The government decides to call Kelly a ‘Walter Mitty character’ – a very high risk strategy since, true or not, if it doesn’t stick they will lose a lot of sympathy by slagging off someone that killed himself due to pressure that is perceived to have been put on him by the goverment. UK papers pick up that the Mitty slur is a major mistake by the governement. The enquiry starts and witnesses testify that Kelly was no Walter Mitty.
Lots of people in 18th century costume spend the next month or so cross examining people who don’t like being lectured to. etc. etc.