Dead British Arms Adviser Was BBC Source

AP ^ | 7/20/03 | AP

[Elkiejg]

LONDON (AP) - The British Broadcasting Corp. said Sunday that David Kelly, a scientist whose apparent suicide intensified a debate over whether the government inflated claims about Iraqi weapons, was its main source for a story at the center of the dispute.

"Having now informed Dr. Kelly's family, we can confirm that Dr. Kelly was the principal source" for a story in which reporter Andrew Gilligan quoted an anonymous official as saying the government had inflated claims of Iraqi weapons, the network said in a statement.

"The BBC believes we accurately interpreted and reported the factual information obtained by us during interviews with Dr. Kelly," the statement continued.

The statement said Kelly, a Ministry of Defense scientist, had also been the source for a piece by reporter Susan Watts on the BBC's "Newsnight" analysis program.

Earlier, Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would take full responsibility if an inquiry ruled that his government had indirectly contributed to Kelly's death.

"Because of the seriousness of what's happened, because somebody has died as a result of the events of the last few weeks, it's right that we have an inquiry," Blair told Sky Television's Sunday with Adam Boulton program, recorded before he left Japan for talks with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

Asked if he still had the appetite to continue as prime minister he responded defiantly: "Absolutely."

Days after Kelly's name was leaked as the suspected source for Gilligan's May 29 radio report, he was grilled by a Parliamentary committee. Days after that, his family reported him missing, adding a dark twist to the bitter debate over claims about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

Police found Kelly's body Friday in a wooded area a few miles from his home in rural Oxfordshire, his left wrist slashed and a partly empty package of painkillers nearby.

Throughout the bitter dispute between the government and the BBC over Gilligan's story, the BBC had refused to say whether the soft-spoken scientist, who was a top United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq in the 1990s, had been its source.

"Over the past few weeks we have been at pains to protect Dr. Kelly being identified as the source of these reports," the BBC statement said. "We clearly owed him a duty of confidentiality. Following his death, we now believe, in order to end the continuing speculation, it is important to release this information as swiftly as possible."

The statement said the BBC had waited until Sunday to make the announcement at the Kelly family's request.

Kelly told his Ministry of Defense bosses he had spoken to Gilligan but he did not believe he was the source cited in the report, which quoted its anonymous official as saying the government had "sexed up" intelligence on Iraqi weapons to justify war.

Kelly told the House of Commons committee he didn't make the claims in the report and didn't believe he was the source cited.

His family said in a statement issued Saturday that "events over recent weeks have made David's life intolerable, and all of those involved should reflect long and hard on this fact."

"A loving, private and dignified man has been taken from us all," they added.

[Elkiejg]

It would appear the BBC has Kelly's blood on their hands.

[steve50]

Yeh, if the press had left Foster alone he would still be with us. Think it was depression that caused him to go over the edge as well.

[Miss Marple]

There are two choices: either Kelly was the sole source, in which case Gilligan apparently stretched the truth in the story, OR there is another source which the BBC is protecting.

Meanwhile, on Geraldo last night, an American reporter for the BBC tried to draw President Bush into this story, inferring that the "lies" he and Blair told were responsible for the man's suicide.

The BBC is leading a coordinated effort on both sides of the Atlantic to bring down Bush and Blair. Blair's staying in power is critical to the success of our diplomacy and military goals, and his replacement with a more leftist member of the Labor party would effectively end UK support.

Once Blair is gone, then President Bush will be without our most significant ally. Prosecuting the war will be more difficult, although not impossible. But how well would we have done in Iraq if we hadn't had the Brits down in the Shia area? Although I am certain we would have prevailed, it would have required more American manpower and might have taken us longer to get to Baghdad, perhaps with more loss of life.

[wretchard]

The BBC has practically confessed to stretching the truth by admitting that Kelly was their principal source. Now that the prosaic facts can be laid alongside the Gilligan broadcast, it clearly differs from Kelly's own account. The supreme irony, according to Kelly's friend Mangold, was that he briefed the BBC in the hope of convincing them of the seriousness of Saddam's threat. He little dreamed they would spin the store 180 degress around.

I'm not sure how the BBC will try to wriggle out of this one.

[Jim Noble]

I'm not sure how the BBC will try to wriggle out of this one.

Independent media is not so well developed in the UK, they may not have to.

[Kozak]

I'm not sure how the BBC will try to wriggle out of this one.

By doing what the Left always does when caught in a lie, they will go into full attack mode. Spinning and distorting, presenting a constantly moving target of lies and ever more bizarre accusations. Just remember the Clinton impeachment follies. Thats the template.

[FreedomPoster]

Clinton was in the UK just a few days before this event for a conference. Perhaps a cover for some Arkancide consulting?

[Thebaddog]

They neglected to have multiple sources and giving their guy a way off the hook. Oh well, some eggs were broken, weren't they.

[Sacajaweau]

Since Dr. Kelly said he did not believe that he was the sole source and denied saying certain things, the BBC is effectively calling Kelly a liar. Dead men tell no tales! (Don't bet on it.)

Kelly was in Iraq in June and looking forward to returning to Iraq. He WAS the expert, putting Blix to shame!! I'm sure he discussed matters with someone. I hope someone comes forward soon.

[longtermmemmory]

The French Inteligence services making sure dead men tell no tails.


Ironic that the source of the fake docuemnts was from french inteligence.

can you say plant? I knew you could...

[randita]

The BBB's report was "sexed up" beyond what Kelly claims to have told them. Three possibilities: 1) the BBC Jayson Blair'd the story, 2) Kelly lied to Parliament or 3) the BBC had additional sources.

It might be difficult to ascertain if 2) is the right possibility unless Kelly talked to someone, kept a detailed diary or if the BBC kept tapes of their communications with him, but 1) and 3) should be relatively easy to find out. Just get the head of BBC up in front of Parliament for a grilling.

The fact that Kelly killed himself leads one to think he was at fault, but Vince Foster did likewise under similar pressure. (I'm not fishing for a discussion whether VF did or did not commit suicide.)

[jocon307]

This all sounds a wee bit convenient to me.

[WHBates]

Convenient for who????

[debg]

From the article above: "The statement said Kelly, a Ministry of Defense scientist, had also been the source for a piece by reporter Susan Watts on the BBC's "Newsnight" analysis program."

BUT wait a minute...Dr. Kelly said the following about Susan Watts at the meeting with the PM's:

"Q131 Richard Ottaway: In response to my colleague, David Chidgey, he gave you a quote which appeared on Newsnight in a programme introduced by Susan Watts. You have confirmed that you have spoken to Susan Watts. Can I just take you through the quote again that was read out. You said you did not recognise it. Could you just concentrate on it. It is talking about the 45 minute point. It said: "The 45 minute point was a statement that was made and it got out of all proportion. They were desperate for information. They were pushing hard for information that could be released. That was the one that popped up and it was seized on and it is unfortunate that it was. That is why there is the argument between the intelligence services and Number 10, because they picked up on it and once they had picked up on it you cannot pull back from it, so many people will say 'Well, we are not sure about that' because the word smithing is actually quite important." There are many people who think that you were the source of that quote. What is your reaction to that suggestion?

Dr Kelly: I find it very difficult. It does not sound like my expression of words. It does not sound like a quote from me.


Q132 Richard Ottaway: You deny that those are your words?

Dr Kelly: Yes."

[LS]

It might make sense that if this guy was lying, he couldn't live with the shame, and "Boorda-ized" himself. Then again, he IS a liberal.

[gaspar]

Precisely. He broke the law (which is rarely enforced in Britain) by being interviewed secretly by the media. He then lied at a Parliamentary hearing. Shamed, almost certainly to be demoted or fired, and probably very depressed, he then took his life. The question remains, and we will probably never know, whether the BBC "sexed up" his comments in their continuing effort to attack the Blair-Bush nexus.

[Timesink]

This is the nascent Mainstream Media Shenanigans ping list. Please freepmail me to be added or dropped.
Please note this will likely become a high-volume list.
Also feel free to ping me if you come across a thread you would think worthy of the ping list. I can't catch them all!

[Timesink]

The question remains, and we will probably never know, whether the BBC "sexed up" his comments in their continuing effort to attack the Blair-Bush nexus.

One thing's for sure: Millions of people in the UK will now know better than to EVER be a source for a BBC reporter. The only reason news organizations get away with this sort of thing in the first place is because they protect the identity of their sources. Now that Britons know that Auntie Beeb is lying about protecting identitied and won't give a second thought about hanging them out to dry if it suits the BBC, they won't be providing much material to BBC "News" any longer.

[LiberationIT]

The BBC is very biased against the war on terrorism and Andrew Gilligan is at the fore. The attacks on Blair may just be an attempt by the Beeb to resurrect their squandered credibility.

After listening to the BBC for several months I do know this; the BBC consistently "sexes up" its "reporting." I am unconvinced that Tony Blair has done the same.

[RobbyS]

The BBC has become the real Third Party in British politics.