Friday, July 16, 2004
Apparently ignorance IS an excuse if you're the Prime Minister.
Tony Blair did not know a key piece of Iraq intelligence had been discredited when he gave evidence to last year's Hutton inquiry, Downing Street says. MI6's decision to withdraw the intelligence was made before August 2003's Hutton inquiry, according to Wednesday's Butler Report. But Mr Blair had not known this when he gave evidence to the inquiry, Downing Street said. The first he heard of it was "as a result of the Butler inquiry".
and
Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy said the latest revelations showed the need for a further inquiry into the political decisions that led to war.
...Dr [John] Reid rejected calls for further inquiries into the Iraq war as "hunting for someone to blame".
And? While I agree that the thought of going through this again isn't exactly at the top of my list of thrills, especially as it's up to Blair to decide whoacquits him of all responsibility this time investigates the matter fully, the Butler report did not there were failures and shortcomings. That does rather suggest that there is someone who needs to be reprimanded or punished in some way.
Tony Blair did not know a key piece of Iraq intelligence had been discredited when he gave evidence to last year's Hutton inquiry, Downing Street says. MI6's decision to withdraw the intelligence was made before August 2003's Hutton inquiry, according to Wednesday's Butler Report. But Mr Blair had not known this when he gave evidence to the inquiry, Downing Street said. The first he heard of it was "as a result of the Butler inquiry".
and
Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy said the latest revelations showed the need for a further inquiry into the political decisions that led to war.
...Dr [John] Reid rejected calls for further inquiries into the Iraq war as "hunting for someone to blame".
And? While I agree that the thought of going through this again isn't exactly at the top of my list of thrills, especially as it's up to Blair to decide who
