Blair statement on bugging scandal “essential”
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has called on Tony Blair to make a statement in the House of Commons on claims that British intelligence bugged the offices of Kofi Annan ahead of the Iraq war.
Mr Kennedy said that the “grave allegation” made by former development secretary Clare Short required a full and frank response from the prime minister.
“It is essential the prime minister now comes to the House of Commons at the earliest possible opportunity and makes a definitive statement about whether there was any British involvement in potential bugging of the secretary general of the UN,” he said during an interview with Sky News.
At his monthly press conference yesterday, Mr Blair refused to discuss the activities of the intelligence service but described Ms Short’s Today programme interview as “the height of irresponsibility”.
This morning, former UN weapons inspector Richard Butler said he thought he was being bugged during his time investigating Iraq.
Speaking to Channel Four News Mr Butler said: “I had to go to the basement cafe in the UN where there was lots of noise so that if it was bugged in someway it wouldn’t be properly heard.”
The ABC news network in Australia reported this morning that Hans Blix, the UN weapons chief in the run up to the war, had his phone conversations monitored.
Mr Kennedy described these latest reports as “a worrying development”.
