Iraq row continues with statements from MoD and BBC
A new development has emerged in the row over whether the Government embellished a security dossier on Iraqi WMD, after an MoD official stated that he is the source quoted by BBC correspondent Andrew Gilligan in claims that the Government had “sexed up” the document.
In a written statement, the Ministry of Defence claimed that an “unofficial meeting” took place between the source and Andrew Gilligan at a London hotel a week before claims were broadcast on the ‘Today’ programme that Downing Street had added inaccurate information to the dossier claiming that Saddam Hussein could have fired weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes of giving such an order.
The Ministry of Defence statement said that the source had given the BBC journalist no evidence that Mr Campbell had been responsible for the claim.
“When Mr Gilligan asked about the role of Alastair Campbell with regard to the 45 minute issue, he made no comment and explained that he was not involved in the process of drawing up the intelligence parts of the Dossier,” the statement claimed.
Later this evening, the BBC released a written statement refuting the MoD’s claims.
The broadcaster insists that Andrew Gilligan’s source in the intelligence community has been known by the journalist for many years, and does not work in the Ministry of Defence.
The Chair of the Liaison Select committee, which today questioned the Prime Minister on justification for war in Iraq suggested that the BBC still has questions to answer.
“The committee has finished its report, but on the face of it, this development does seem to help Mr Campbell really quite a lot,” Donald Anderson MP told Channel Four.
