Secret emails reveal sexing-up of Iraq dossier

Opposition parties are today renewing calls for a proper investigation into the Iraq war because a Freedom of Information request has revealed senior officials were concerned about how the intelligence was presented. The emails relate to the dossier on Iraq's imaginary weapons of mass destruction shown to Parliament in …

[Anonymous Coward]

Won't change anything

You could find a smoking gun and it wouldn't change anything. Politicians are like the nobility of old, just another untouchable elite.

[h4rm0ny]

Tony Blair

We're not done with you yet, mate. One day we'll see you charged for lying to parliament and to the people for bringing this country into war.

Thumbs down to the Ex-PM in a very gladitorial sense.

[Neil Hoskins]

"...confirms the widely held suspicions..."

It's not "suspicion": the politicisation of intelligence is a well-documented historical fact*. The crucial JIC meeting was chaired by a professional propagandist, for fuck's sake.

*Try "Military Intelligence Blunders and Cover-Ups" by Colonel John Hughes-Wilson (ISBN 1-84119-871-4) for starters.

Black helicopter because I simply cannot understand why the politicians are STILL talking about complicity with torture and lying about WMD as if we didn't already know.

[Sillyfellow]

no accountability

does anyone out there really think that the gvt will ever tell the truth or allow themselves to be held accountable?

nope. didn't think so!

nuff said!

[Ed Blackshaw]

Shock News:

Politicians lie.

In other news:

Sky is up

Water is wet

etc.

[Anonymous Coward]

45 minutes

"But the main claim of campaigners - that the claim that Iraq could use weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes was added to the document by press staff rather than intelligence officials - is not upheld by the mails."

so this a good thing then - that the dossiers weren't sexed up by press staff?? instead the intelligence officials were a bunch of incompetent numpties - yeah, that's far more reassuring...

[Alistair Wall]

Frankenstein

The joke was about a claim that Hussein had <em>assembled</em> experts for his nuclear programme.

[richard]

one day this will be resolved

the truth cannot be hidden by pathetic jack straw, the bloody wimp.

blair and those fools have scarred this country for a long time.

[Stevie]

Bah

And this is surprising, how?

[james hedley]

Oh come on!

To all you lot moaning about the Iraq war - can I just say; at least it turned out well. You've got a much better government, sanctions have been lifted, oil supply is better and regional tensions have been much reduced.

Sure, about a million Iraqis had to die, but it's not as if they're British or anything. You have to understand; people at the top are chosen, perhaps even born, to make decisions like this. People like you or I are simply too naive to understand the factors involved in such a decision making process. In that way, a few "bent truths" are perfectly acceptable.

Paris because she was busy distracting us with poor-quality pr0n while our country was going down the crapper.

[Anonymous Coward]

systematic and deliberate

Anyone with more than 2 functioning brain cells knows that the slimy shits in power (then and now) faked all the evidence. If there was any justice Blair and all his cronies would be brought to trial for treason, having sold the UK to the American neocons like so many crack whores. Will this happen? No, because the proles only care about their bread and circuses, and will let the politicians lie and dissemble their way out of it. The uncomfortable truth is that you get the Government you deserve.

[cheeky chappie]

@ Ed Blackshaw

I'm shocked!! truly shocked by this.

Is the sky really up?? is water really wet?

Everyone knows that the ability to tell the truth is sugically removed from the 'successful' candidate on election night

[Pierre]

"We needed the oil"

What do you mean, not a valid defense?

[Ken Hagan]

Won't change anything ... yet

Whilst I agree that we shouldn't expect any shift in the position of the present government, there is always the possibility that some future bunch of unscrupulous bastards might one day reckon it is in *their* interest to finally do the dirty on the present lot. And of course the same absence of constitutional limitations that let NuLab get away with it would let this future lot do as they please too. (Those who live by the sword...)

A *smart* Labour Party would be looking for a way to "defuse" this issue whilst the main protagonists still had enough power to influence the outcome. But no, they're still holding their ground and trying to avoid *any* comeback. It won't work guys. Your Weapons of Mass Deception have stopped working and your reputations are toast.

[Anonymous Coward]

Crown Immunity

It doesn't matter if they were caught pulling the evidence of a rabbit's arse, they'll be able to claim crown immunity and walk away.

Course, Charles I tried the same stunt, and, luckily for those around at the time, they had Oliver's Army around to ensure that justice was done and seen to be done.

Who'd have thunk it... that a poster with Irish blood and raised as a Catholic would ever uphold Oliver Cromwell as a hero.

The times they are a changing... unlike the b*st**ds in government.

[Si]

They'll never release anything really damaging...

All that stuff is either destroyed or will be permanently vetoed from being released. The only way Blair & Co will get their just comeuppance is if a whistle blower gets their hands on something juicy that can be verified as genuine.

[Ben Gibson]

What's the problem?

I really don't understand why people have such a problem with Jack Straw using his veto on those documents.

If he had said nothing, or that it was to protect blah de blah blah then I could understand.

But he didn't, he said his reason was because if people could see those minutes of the meetings deciding on the war of Iraq then it 'would erode the public's confidence in the cabinet."

At best, that's an admission of incompetence that things were not done properly, at best it is an admission of guilt. Do we really need to see those documents now that Jack has already told us they are as negative as we think they are?

[Scott Evil]

@James

"Sure, about a million Iraqis had to die, but it's not as if they're British or anything"

So that makes it ok then?

[sleepy]

I thought at the time . . .

The published materials read like waffle, but were covered by an implied "we have hard evidence, but can't disclose it for security reasons". But if the government claimed clinching evidence, then you had to let them proceed, or join the revolution.

When it later turned out there was no evidence, wouldn't that have made them war criminals if they had been "foreigners"? Unfortunately, Robin Cook and David Kelly are no longer with us to tell the other side of the story.

[RW]

Society has its own penalties

The etiquette guru Judith Martin, who writes under the nom de plume "Miss Manners", remarks in her books that society imposes its own penalties for misbehavior, penalties much more draconian than any legal fol-de-rol and not at all subject to appeal. B. Liar and his friends and enemies in the NuLiar party can expect to be snubbed by knowledgeable people as news of their lying scheme percolates through the populace.

The cold stare, the snub (refusal to acknowledge greetings), the cut direct ("I do not know you, sir"), mass walkouts from meetings, people turning their backs, refusal to shake hands: these are examples of what the NuLiar minions can expect.

George W. is giving his first post-presidential speech in Calgary, Alberta. I have my fingers crossed that ticket sales are few and far between as another expression of society's disapproval of *his* misfeasances. Unfortunately Calgary is a suburb of Houston, Texas and no doubt the oil industry will turn out to support their boy.

Some commentators have wondered if Bush's reprehensible record will result in a paucity of offers to give speeches, invitations to parties, and honorary degrees. It would be justice of a sort if this happened.

But keep these words in mind: come the next election, if a Labour candidate offers his hand, spit in it, or verbally refuse "I wouldn't shake hands with a candidate of the Lying Labour party if you paid me."

[Ted Treen]

@Anon. Coward-Friday 13 12:54 GMT

"Politicians are like the nobility of old, just another untouchable elite."

Not quite true, old lad.

I think you will find that a little over two hundred years ago, some excitable little froggies, together with Dr Guillotin's fun invention, managed to "touch" quite a few of their Aristo elite.

Not that I'm suggesting that we view them as role models, of course.

Oh sod it. I'll tell the truth. That's EXACTLY what I'm siggesting...

[NB]

@james

I say, top notch trolling old chap!