Intelligence chief to clarify PM’s role
The chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, John Scarlett, will today give evidence to Lord Hutton’s judicial inquiry into the apparent suicide of Dr David Kelly, the Iraqi weapons inspector and “source” in the BBC story that No 10 “sexed up” intelligence reports on Iraq to bolster the case for war against Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship.
Mr Scarlett advises the Prime Minister on intelligence issues. He drew up the September intelligence on Iraq’s capacity to launch lethal weapons.
Sir David Omand, the government’s security and intelligence co-ordinator, is also expected to give evidence.
Mr Scarlett is expected to defend the PM and director of communications Alastair Campbell against claims that they willingly exaggerated evidence pertaining to Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction.
According to the evidence given to Hutton thus far, the PM, Mr Scarlett and Sir David agreed to “out” Dr Kelly as the MoD “mole.”
A document released over the weekend details a Downing Street meeting in which Mr Scarlett asked: “If Dr K[Kelly’s] name becomes public will government be criticised for putting him under ‘wider pressure’?”
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will face the inquiry tomorrow, with the PM to appear in person on Thursday.
Labour MP Fabian Hamilton, who sits on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, admitted yesterday Mr Hoon could be the ‘sacrificial lamb’ to save Mr Blair’s bacon.
And Labour colleague Jeremy Corbyn claimed the affair had become Mr Blair’s Watergate.
He said: “The longer this inquiry goes on, the more e-mails appear, the more documents appear, the more damning evidence appears.”
The Telegraph is saying today that Mr Scarlett insisted changes be made to the PM’s foreword to the dossier to safeguard his committee against sole responsibility for its contents.
The broadsheet said Mr Campbell told the Hutton inquiry and the Commons foreign affairs select committee that the dossier was entirely the work of the JIC.
