"Sexed up" dossier update

by Mary

Tony Blair testifies before the Hutton inquiry next week. Evidence that has been released so far will have him facing some very tough questions.

Although the inquiry was initiated to look into the death of Dr. David Kelly, one of the side effects is the increasingly clear picture of the way the Blair government made the case for war. In a fascinating article coauthored by Glen Rangwala in tomorrow's Independent, the 45-minute claim that Saddam was an imminent threat became the principle reason for starting an unprovoked war.

The dossier was crucial in that campaign and provided the foundation for Britain's efforts to raise international support for the invasion. For all Saddam's undoubted brutality, the only legal basis for war was that he had an arsenal of unconventional weapons ready for use on his neighbours and as far afield as Cyprus, where British forces are stationed. It was decided that the Government would have to make public its secret intelligence on Iraq, and that the document should be written by John Scarlett, head of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). Last week's evidence to the Hutton inquiry made clear that his efforts were being commented upon by a Downing Street chorus that included Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell, his chief of staff, and Alastair Campbell, his director of communications.

As the Guardian points out the outward impression last September was that the Blair government was doing everything it could to prevent the war and was advocating the use of diplomacy to get the inspectors back into Iraq. However recently released email of the top officials in Blair's government shows that they were actively twisting facts to make the war inevitable.

Blair's troubles started when it became evident that there was no such weapons program and it was reported that the September dossier had been "sexed up" to sell the war. That this was so is now part of the public record. This week the inquiry will try to get an answer to this question: how involved was Blair in creating this lie?

On a related note, the Hutton inquiry is doing some incredible work. Each day they update their website with the latest evidence. It is a remarkable example of a functioning democratic government. Contrast that with this story about the 9/11 investigation (via Tristero). Kos points out that the American public is starting to turn against the Bush regime. If so, the threat of real investigations here must be giving some in the Bush administration some sleepless nights.