Posted on 07/18/2003 1:34:00 AM PDT by Big Bad Bob
Two words: Vince Foster.
Now I'm wondering if those were all Arkancides before, or were Iraqicides instead, designed to divide the Iraqi regime's enemies and pit them against one another so they'll eat their own.
But in this guy's case, wasn't the conclusion that he really wasn't the mole?
From the UK Guardian:
Profile: Dr David Kelly
Matthew Tempest, political correspondent
Friday July 18, 2003
It was on July 9 that Dr David Kelly - a former senior UN weapons inspector - broke into the public consciousness, named in the papers as someone who had had an "unauthorised" meeting with the BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan.
According to Dr Kelly's own evidence to the foreign affairs select committee this week he had informed his "line manager" at the MoD himself that he had met Mr Gilligan and could, therefore, at least be perceived to be the source of the Today programme's allegations that the government's dossier was "sexed up".
Dr Kelly, an adviser to the government and an expert in biological warfare, had previously worked at the Porton Down research centre.
(* My note: That's interesting. The Iraqis reportedly tried to obtain pathogens from Porton Down but we've long been told they didn't succeed.)
A renowned microbiologist he was an adviser to the Foreign Office before moving to the MoD. He spent seven years as an Unscom inspector in the 1990s, visiting Iraq on 37 occasions.
Although he appeared tentative, quietly spoken but calm before MPs, it was in fact his second appearance before the FAC - he also gave evidence last September.
Dr Kelly's surprising identification by the MoD came about when the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, wrote to the BBC chairman, Gavyn Davies, demanding to know whether the official who had come forward was the source of Gilligan's original story which sparked the row.
Mr Hoon gave Mr Davies Dr Kelly's name, asking the corporation to confirm or deny that it was the same person as Gilligan's source.
(* My note: Wonder who told Hoon?)
Tony Blair's spokesman insisted at the time its approach was "not an assault on journalistic sources, this is not an assault on the BBC, it is not a vendetta". He described it as a "genuine attempt to get at the truth behind what is one of the most serious allegations you can make against a government".
How Dr Kelly's identity came into the public domain is unclear.
In his session before the FAC, Dr Kelly was accompanied by two MoD "minders" who sat behind the scientist as he was questioned by the panel of MPs.
That questioning often became aggressive, with Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay, in particular, first assaulting him for refusing to say, without checking his diary, which other journalists he may have met in the month of May.
Later Mr Mackinlay changed tack, dubbing Dr Kelly "chaff" and a fall guy. At all times, Dr Kelly merely retorted that he "accepted the process" of both the MoD's operations, and the FAC inquiry, although, in a comment which received little attention at the time, he said he was unable to check his diary since he was unable to get to his house - presumably due to the media encamping outside.
In his evidence on Tuesday, he also admitted meeting Susan Watts of Newsnight, and having met Mr Gilligan on three occasions. He conceded that he may have met other journalists, none of which were authorised by the MoD, but that he had experience of dealing with journalists in the past.
However, it was unclear from his evidence whether or not he was the main source of Mr Gilligan's evidence. He denied it, although the dates, and some of the topics discussed, fitted Mr Gilligan's story.
Dr Kelly is a former UN weapons inspector and now advises British ministers on weapons of mass destruction an adviser in the proliferation and arms control secretariat.
He came from a background in agricultural science. He was chief science officer at Britain's natural environment research council institute of virology and the head of microbiology at the chemical defence establishment in Porton Down from 1984 to 1992.
Dr Kelly became senior adviser on biological warfare for the UN in Iraq in 1994, holding the post until 1999.
Between 1991 and 1998 he played a key role in inspecting Iraqi weapons after the Gulf war, once saying during a lecture: "When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, little did I realise that Saddam Hussein would dictate the next 10 years of my life."
He also led all the visits and inspections of Russian biological warfare facilities from 1991 to 1994 under the 1992 trilateral agreement between the US, UK and Russia.
(* My note : Wasn't this the same place where Scott Ritter met his Russian wife?)
In September last year he gave evidence to a Commons committee probing the war on terrorism. He was speaking in his role as chief scientific officer and senior adviser to the proliferation and arms control secretariat of the Ministry of Defence, and the non-proliferation department of the Foreign Office.
When he spoke to the foreign affairs committee this week, it was in very different circumstances - and under a much brighter media spotlight.
Police have cordoned off the area and are treating it as a crime scene. They are searching for clues although it rained last night and that will make it difficult to find much.
I think it is interesting that Fox broke this as a "news alert."
Maybe not. Ritter was in Russia doing inspections in Votkinsk in the Soviet Union in 1988, somewhat earlier.
Guardian ^ | 07/17/03 | Chris Borg and agencies
MPs accuse Gilligan of changing story , by Chris Borg and agencies, Thursday July 17, 2003
The BBC journalist who claimed that Alastair Campbell had "sexed up" intelligence on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction was tonight accused of changing his evidence by MPs. Andrew Gilligan, the defence correspondent on Radio 4's Today programme, was described as an "unsatisfactory witness" by the Commons foreign affairs select committee following his second appearance before it today.
He had been recalled to give further evidence after a senior Ministry of Defence official, Dr David Kelly, denied suggestions that he was the possible source of Gilligan's story.
The journalist had accused Mr Campbell of inserting a claim into the dossier, which was published last September, that the former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, could deploy weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes. Mr Campbell has insisted that the claim was not included on his instructions. He has been backed by security chiefs, who say that it was passed by the joint intelligence committee.
Speaking after Mr Gilligan's almost two-hour appearance before the committee, its chairman, Donald Anderson MP, said: "Mr Gilligan clearly changed his mind in the course of the evidence, in particular in relation to serious allegations concerning Mr Campbell." The Labour MP added that a transcript of today's session, which took place behind closed doors, would be made public. "There is a grave danger of unfairness to Mr Campbell. On the question of unfairness and the unsatisfactory nature of the evidence, the press and public can make up their own minds," he said. He added that the transcript could be published within seven days, saying that there had been a "veering" in the course of the evidence "in relation to Mr Campbell and the 45 minutes".
Mr Gilligan's story, which quoted a single intelligence source in claiming that Mr Campbell had "sexed up" the dossier, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The BBC journalist insisted that he had not changed his story, and said that Mr Anderson had "deliberately misinterpreted" his evidence. "This was an ambush by a hanging jury with only one opposition member present for the relevant section of the meeting," he said.
"Donald Anderson has deliberately misinterpreted my evidence, and I have asked for the transcript to be published to make this clear.
"The Labour members of the committee were determined to find fault with my story, but did not do so. I defended my journalism with vigour, pointing out, among other things, that many of my source's allegations have been corroborated by other evidence."
A statement issued by the BBC tonight defended Mr Gilligan, and accused the committee of launching "personal attacks" on him. "Andrew Gilligan has not changed his story. The committee launched a series of personal attacks on Mr Gilligan in an atmosphere which was largely hostile," the statement read. "We deeply resent the way the committee was used to attack Mr Gilligan's integrity."
1984 - 1992 : (UK : KELLY HEAD OF MICROBIOLOGY AT PORTON DOWN) Dr Kelly ...was chief science officer at Britain's natural environment research council institute of virology and the head of microbiology at the chemical defence establishment in Porton Down from 1984 to 1992. - "Profile: Dr David Kelly," by Matthew Tempest, political correspondent, UK Guardian, Friday, July 18, 2003
Hmmm.
1985 - 1989 : (IRAQ TRIES TO OBTAIN ANTHRAX FROM PORTON DOWN, THEN FROM ATCC IN THE US, IT OBTAINS 21 STRAINS OF ANTHRAX FROM ATCC) Iraq approached Porton Down in Britain for the Ames strain of the anthrax bacterium, said Dr Spertzel. "That [request] was fortunately denied," he said. Iraq obtained much of its anthrax supply from the American Type Culture Collection. Between 1985 and 1989, it obtained at least 21 strains of anthrax from ATCC and about 15 other class III pathogens, the bacteria that pose an extreme risk to human health. One strain had a British military pedigree and three of the other strains were listed as coming from the American military's biological warfare programme. http://209.157.64.200/focus/news/552346/posts
And that is because they are irrational--that's why they believe people are "conspiring" in the first place.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.