Hutton Inquiry Hears Closing Statements

The Hutton Inquiry heard the final testimonies on Thursday of those involved in the case surrounding the alleged connection between the British Government’s Iraq dossier, the claims of political manipulation made by the BBC and the apparent suicide of Ministry of Defence weapons expert Dr David Kelly.

Since the inquiry began on August 1, in the wake of Kelly’s death in July, personalities from the media, politics and members of Dr. Kelly’s family have given evidence and spoken about their involvement in events that have cast a considerable shadow over the credibility of Tony Blair’s Labour government.

On the final day before the inquiry adjourns to compile its findings and reach its decision, lawyers representing the Kelly family, the government and the BBC made their closing statements.

Government used Kelly as "a pawn"

Jeremy Gompertz Q.C. representing Dr. Kelly’s relatives told the inquiry that the scientist’s family wanted to expose the government's "duplicity" in the way it treated the scientist before his apparent suicide, adding that Kelly had been used as “a pawn” in the government’s political battle with the BBC. However, Gompertz maintained that the weapons expert’s family were not looking for "revenge or retribution" on any "scapegoats" but wanted to help identify and correct "systemic failures" at the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Dr. Kelly’s employers.

"Never again should someone be put in such a position," said Gompertz, who accused both the government and the media for the "total lack of care" Kelly received amid the frenzy surrounding his outing as the source for the BBC report that questioned an integral statement in the government’s Iraq dossier.

BBC man used Kelly as source

The BBC’s Andrew Gilligan reported in May on the radio program Today, and then subsequently in the national newspaper the Mail on Sunday, that the claim that Saddam Hussein could have chemical and biological weapons ready in 45 minutes was included in the government's dossier despite the fact officials knew it to be false. It was later revealed that Dr. Kelly was the person who passed on these doubts to the journalist.

It is claimed that the imminent exposure from being named and pressure from the government finally led to Kelly taking his own life. Gompertz said no credence should be given to Gilligan's account of his talks with Kelly, except where it could be corroborated by independent sources.

Caught in the crossfire

The reporting of the 45 minute claim put the BBC and the government on a collision course, and Kelly’s lawyer pointed out in his closing address that the scientist was caught in the middle. Gompertz attacked the "hypocrisy" of the British government for denying there was a strategy to use Kelly in the dossier row with the BBC. "This was a cynical abuse of power which deserves the strongest possible condemnation."

He concluded: "No wonder Dr Kelly felt betrayed after giving his life in service to the country... in his despair, he seems to have taken his own life."

Government cleared twice of wrong-doing

Both the Hutton Inquiry and the previous investigation by the Foreign Affairs Committee have cleared the British government of deliberately inserting information known to be false but both have reprimanded the government for issuing misleading information and for not clarifying important data.

Defense Minister Geoff Hoon has been singled out for condemnation for his role in maintaining the ambiguity surrounding the 45 minute claim despite concerns raised by staff at the MoD and for authorizing the press statement which led to Dr Kelly being named as the suspected source.

Iraq text approved at highest level

In his final speech, Jonathan Sumption, the lawyer representing the government, defended the "rigorous" way the Iraq dossier was prepared and added that the 45 minute claim was at the "conservative end of the scale" indicated by intelligence.

Sumption told the inquiry that every suggestion for the dossier made by Alistair Campbell and Downing Street official Jonathan Powell had been "scrupulously considered" by Joint Intelligence Committee chairman John Scarlett and assessment officials against the intelligence. He added that there was no way that such an important document, one that would have been presented and defended in parliament by the prime minister himself, would not have been personally approved by Tony Blair.

Sumption also went on to deny that government had ever been engaged in any "crusade" against the BBC. The government's reaction was not due to any clash of personalities, but because the prime minister and his top staff all knew Gilligan's story was a "travesty".

Media lawyers to deliver closings

The BBC lawyers, representatives of Andrew Gilligan and the Hutton Inquiry barristers themselves will make their closing statements towards the end of the final hearing. Lord Hutton will then write his report, which is expected to be published some time after October.