[Miss Marple]

The important thing about this story, and why we should keep it in the public eye, is not what Ritter did (though despicable). The important thing is that he was blackmailable, and also someone pulled strings to have this story hushed up.

To my mind, the emphasis should be on why this case was hidden from the public.

[My2Cents]

The important thing about this story, and why we should keep it in the public eye, is not what Ritter did (though despicable). The important thing is that he was blackmailable, and also someone pulled strings to have this story hushed up.

Thank you, Miss Marple. This is the first compelling reason, or linkage between this story and the policy debate over Iraq, that anyone has yet offered on the thread. To everyone else, the story is red meat, and the ability to link it to the policy debate was lost in the desire to pound Ritter into dust. The linkage cannot be proven, but as you say, blackmail is plausible. The question should be asked; but no one should go beyond the question and jump to a conclusion.