"...Ah yes, WMD in Iraq...On NPR this morning, a few details on the Hutton Report that escaped notice in this town, at least.   First, Hutton never mentioned anything about hundreds of pages of documents by/about Kelly (the suicide scientist) regarding the "strength" of the government's WMD knowledge.   Second, Hutton himself has an interesting background, including serving as a "hanging judge" in Northern Ireland, where documents and testimony for the defense were alleged to have been routinely disregarded/excluded, in deference to the "truth" of the government prosecutor's claims.   Finally, no one mentions anymore, and certainly not in the report -- that (a) there is no first amendment press freedom guarantee in UK (something I suspect the Bushies would like to expunge from our system) and (b) Alistair Campbell (apparently with Blair's knowledge), and not the BBC, plotted to "out" Kelly.  So much for "impartiality" and "exoneration"...   And, of course, why has everyone forgotten that Blair and Company, to make their WMD case, plagiarized a PhD student's outdated online article based on data available in the public domain!!!!!!! "

-o-o-o-

Every commentator on our (French) television, and also on BBC Radio and World TV (despite the latter being financed, and largely controlled, by the United Kingdom government) has pointed out that the Hutton Report was very severely limited in scope, and was (to quote one BBC Radio commentator) "an enquiry into alleged misbehaviour by certain persons set up by the principal accused who not only chose the person to chair the enquiry but also defined its very close limits".

What we all have to recognise is that the Report specifically does not go into the question of the untruths contained in Mr Anthony Blair's statements to Parliament and to the world, on the basis of which he justified his having blindly ordered British armed forces to invade Iraq as desired by his Fuehrer who had decided on this invasion long before his appointment by the Supreme Court of the U.S.A.

Now that the Blair government has managed to force the Chairman, the Director General and the Reporter in question, Mr Andrew Gilligan, to resign from the BBC, it appears to be turning its attention to the question of how to prevent the BBC from daring to make any future criticism of the government.   In this it is supported by the Conservative Party (officially the main opposition Party) which has always objected to the BBC's stance when it comes to telling the truth, particularly when the BBC dared to criticise Mrs Margaret Thatcher.   Please also note that the Blair government and the Conservative opposition constantly vie with one another to show the greatest possible subservience to the Bush regime, regardless of the interests of the United Kingdom.

What is clear is that Mr Gilligan, as he speedily and fully admitted, made a minor error in the wording of what he reported, but broadly speaking he was totally correct as to the basic facts.   Despite what government spokesmen are now claiming, Mr Gilligan apologised immediately for his error when it became apparent.   The person who was shown up as being totally ruthlessly dishonest was Mr Blair's "spin-doctor", Mr Alistair Campbell, who is now claiming triumph and is also calling for as many resignations as he can get from the BBC.

It is indeed correct that there is no constitutional protection for freedom of the press in the United Kigndom, and unhappily, the principal culprit, Mr Anthony Blair (whom we have seen and heard gloating most indecently over Lord Hutton's conclusions), has the power to choose the new Chairman of the BBC.   We therefore fear for the Corporation's future, since Mr Blair is well known for being a "control freak", determined to exercise Stalinistic control over all means of communication, and his principal ally in this aim, Mr Campbell, has now benefitted (to quote "The Independent") from a "whitewash" by Lord Hutton.

I should be very grateful to any one or more of you who can give me further detail regarding Lord Hutton's past actions in his native country, but can only say that his Report is terrifying because of the threat which it represents to the reputation (and to the very existence as an independent body) of the BBC.   Such an independent body is essential, especially when, as at present, faced with a goverment which has expressed a clear intention to subject it to strict Stalinistic control.

All comments gratefully received

With my best wishes to you all

Robert

© Copyright 2003 by AxisofLogic.com

*Robert Thompson, a French citizen, is a retired Avocat (Trial Lawyer) at the Boulogne-sur-Mer Bar, living with his wife in a small village in Northern France.   He was born at Leek (North Staffordshire, England) in 1931, and, after reading Jurisprudence at Oxford University, he became an English Solicitor.   He later went to work at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.   There he was Director in charge of the Legal Department and also Secretary General of the Court of Arbitration, the most important international commercial arbitration centre on the world.   While there, he became the I.C.C. Director in charge of relations with the Arab states, where he travelled for professional reasons, and he worked towards legal cooperation with the countries then within the Comecon.