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.