Posted on 07/19/2003 2:00:35 PM PDT by Momaw Nadon
LONDON/TOKYO (Reuters) - British police revealed on Saturday that a scientist at the center of a row over the government's justification for war in Iraq had died of a slit wrist, leaving little doubt he had taken his own life.
A haggard Prime Minister Tony Blair urged the media on a visit to Tokyo to "set aside the speculation and the claims and the counter-claims" over the death of Dr David Kelly, a Defense Ministry weapons expert.
Kelly was named as a possible "mole" for a news story saying aides to Blair -- who has staked his career on his decision to join the U.S.-led war -- hyped intelligence about Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction to justify the war.
Kelly's family made clear they wanted officials to shoulder the blame for driving him to despair.
"Events over recent weeks have made David's life intolerable and all of those involved should reflect long and hard over that fact," they said in a statement read out by police.
The New York Times said Kelly, a former United Nation's weapons inspector, had e-mailed a reporter before he went missing, describing "many dark actors playing games."
The paper's reporter believed Kelly meant officials with whom he had often disagreed over intelligence assessments.
Blair has ordered an inquiry into the death, but opposition Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith said the probe should cover all aspects of how the government argued for war. He called for parliament to be recalled to launch the probe.
Glenda Jackson, a former minister from Blair's Labour Party, said the prime minister "should bite the bullet and resign."
Blair himself stayed silent when a reporter in Japan asked: "Have you got blood on your hands Mr. Prime Minister? Are you going to resign over this?"
Police said Kelly's body was found with a slit left wrist on Friday at a wooded spot near one of his favorite hiking trails, with a knife and a bottle of painkillers. There was no evidence anybody else was involved, they said.
SUCKED INTO DEBATE
Kelly became embroiled in the row over the justification for war after the government said he might be the source for a BBC radio report that said officials had "sexed up" intelligence about Iraq's suspected weapons.
He was grilled by parliament over the affair on Tuesday and admitted speaking to journalists but denied making allegations against Blair's officials.
The scientist seemed shell-shocked at the hearings, where lawmakers called him a "fall guy," put forward to shield senior officials from blame.
His boss, Defense Minister Geoff Hoon, said the ministry had observed "proper procedures" in handling the affair.
"I am certainly aware that a great deal of effort was made by the Ministry of Defense to support Dr Kelly. Sadly that has not been sufficient in these circumstances," he said.
But when asked by a reporter whether he felt personal responsibility, Hoon was clearly rattled.
"I, and I know many others, have spent the last 24 hours trying to replay these terrible events in order to try and see whether something could have been done to avoid this tragedy. All I can say is that I will cooperate fully with the inquiry."
The BBC report said a senior intelligence official had accused Blair's communications chief Alastair Campbell of ordering intelligence to be sensationalized.
The BBC declined again on Saturday to say whether Kelly was the source.
Some newspapers said the government had forced Kelly to come forward to clear "spin doctor" Campbell's name.
"Spun to Death," said the Daily Mirror.
Robert Jackson, member of parliament for Kelly's district, criticized the BBC, saying if Kelly was not the source, the broadcaster should have said so to clear his name. If he was the source, then he may have been misquoted, Jackson said.
Here's a thought .. why take pain killers and then slit your wrists?
Why not just OD on the pain killers?
Sorry, I am not ready to buy the suicide story yet
What has Blair got to do with it? The guy freaked out, and cut his wrist. If he was weak, that's the way it was. Blair isn't his daddy, nor is he responsible for this mans choices.
This world is always blaming someone else for their own misfortunes.
The guy killed himself. End of story.
The guy was British. They still use napkins on their laps over there!
I suspect that the Victim [Merriam Webster's Dictionary Definition states that a Victim is: "a living being offered as a sacrifice, an individual injured, or killed, a person cheated, fooled or injured of circumstances"] must have had very potent "Pain Killers" in that bottle.
You should know that there is a Big difference between...
Morticians, Undertakers and Coroners/Forensic Specialists.
Haven't you been paying attention to the left-wing conspiracy theories on this? Blair had MI-5 slice Kelly's wrists because Kelly was in the process of blowing the whistle on how Blair's administration (at Bush's behest) overblew their WMD evidence in order to justify war in Iraq. But if you're not familiar with this theory, don't worry. You're going to hear it again and again and again for the next twenty years, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to become an expert on it. "David Kelly's martyrdom" is going to be part of the leftists' catechism when my children are FReeping.
Yes, but they never do their own work. :o)
Wasn't The Great Satan, now apparently banned, infatuated with Judith Miller?
Some thing like that occurred to me
I'm not sure if he left a not to his wife but it's reported that he did send an email to the NYT's
Good for you, Mo. Now, discount whatever the mainstream sources report from here on out.
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