What David Kelly knew

[IndianaGreen]

What David Kelly knew

The killing of Saddam's sons won't divert attention for long from the specious reasons given for invading Iraq

Richard Norton-Taylor
Thursday July 24, 2003
The Guardian

Uday and Qusay are killed and the delighted British and American governments suggest that Iraq will be a safer place. Yes, Iraqis may well feel safer. And - with the dictator's brutal sons out of the way for ever - more confident about continuing the resistance against the American occupiers.

Shortly before their deaths were announced, Richard Gephardt, Democrat presidential hopeful, delivered a blistering attack on Bush's foreign policy which was driven, he said, by "machismo" and "arrogant unilateralism". Bush, he continued, had treated US allies "like so many flies on America's windshield". He added: "Foreign policy isn't a John Wayne movie."

The attack on the villa where Saddam's sons were hiding might be seen as driving home the point. Instead, the announcement that they had been killed by US troops in a shoot-out is welcomed by Tony Blair as "great news".

Jack Straw was more circumspect. He said the death of what he called "extremely unpleasant psychopaths" would bring relief for the Iraqi people. But he added: "I am not rejoicing. I mourn the death of anybody, but it has to be said that it is a very great relief for all Iraqis."

Both the prime minister and the foreign secretary seized the opportunity to remind us about the brutality of Saddam's regime. This was something many of us pointed out more than 15 years ago. But then, Straw says, there was a Conservative government and, anyway, Iraq was at war with Iran. It was as though they were mightily relieved that attention had been diverted away from the increasingly damaging controversy over what weapons of mass destruction, if any, Iraq possessed when Bush and Blair decided to invade the country, and from the death of David Kelly in particular.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1004827,00.html

[reorg]

1. finally a fair and balanced comment in the Guardian on this issue

- so all hope is not lost that they will return to their honest roots:

"If MPs on the Commons foreign affairs committee had bothered to listen to the substance of what he told them instead of scoring points in the battle between the government and the BBC - of which Kelly was a victim - they too would have heard important evidence."

Unfortunately, though, this insight comes a little late, after many Guardian reports that did not heed this advice.