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| Newsletter | November 2003 | |
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Contents |
Hutton Inquiry | |||
The Hutton Inquiry is the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly. Dr Kelly was a Ministry of Defence arms consultant, an expert in biological warfare and a former UN weapons inspector. On 18th July 2003, he was found dead near his home in Oxfordshire. Prior to his suicide, Kelly was caught up in a row between a BBC reporter and the Government. BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan alleged in a report that Alistair Campbell, director of communications for the Labour Party, had over-emphasised ('sexed-up') the Government's September 2002 dossier Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction, and had inserted the claim that Iraq would launch weapons of mass destruction within forty-five minutes against the wishes of the intelligence community. Dr Kelly was later revealed as Andrew Gilligan's source in the press. The investigation is into whether the Government went on a mole hunt to identify Gilligan's sources, how bosses at the MoD treated Dr Kelly once he admitted he had spoken to Gilligan, and whether this contributed to his suicide. The Inquiry lasted six weeks and the final report is due to be released in November or December 2003. The official website of the Hutton Inquiry contains all evidence that can be published, the hearing transcripts and rulings. The BBC In Depth report on the Inquiry contains more details on the background and lead up to the case. 'The Decision to go to War in Iraq', a report from the Foreign Affairs Committee, investigated why Britain went to war, whether Parliament was given accurate information on which to declare war, and examined Andrew Gilligan's claims. |
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