Archive for 'Secrecy' Category
Concealing the concealment
by Chris Ames In February, I made a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request to the Cabinet Office concerning the Inquiry, specifically the statement in chairman John Chilcot’s July 2012 letter to David Cameron that the Inquiry would not “publish further information piecemeal and in advance of its report”, ie that it had decided to [...]
Old evidence prompts new story
by Chris Ames The story in today’s Independent on Sunday, Tony Blair and Iraq: The damning evidence is another one of those where it’s very difficult to know what is new and what isn’t. The main gist of the story, that Hitherto unseen evidence given to the Chilcot Inquiry by British intelligence has revealed that [...]
Butler not told about Habbush or Sabri
by Chris Ames Tonight’s Panorama (BBC1 10.35 ) takes another look at the way that “key aspects of the secret intelligence used by Downing Street and the White House to justify the invasion were based on fabrication, wishful thinking and lies. ” A lot of the stories about the dodgy sources, including the notorious 45 [...]
Blair promises to Bush to remain secret, Guardian claims
by Chris Ames My colleague Richard Norton-Taylor reports The long-delayed Chilcot inquiry report will be published without crucial evidence that would reveal what Tony Blair promised President George Bush in the runup to the invasion of Iraq 10 years ago, Whitehall sources have indicated to the Guardian. Aside from this very depressing introduction, the story [...]
Inquiry to challenge official line, Independent claims
by Chris Ames The Independent is reporting that: The inquiry into how Tony Blair committed Britain to war in Iraq is set to challenge the official version of events when it reports later this year, The Independent understands. The team led by Sir John Chilcot, which is examining Britain’s part in the US-led invasion, will [...]
Prescott: war cannot be justified
by Chris Ames The BBC reports this morning that The invasion of Iraq in 2003 “cannot be justified”, Lord Prescott – who was then deputy prime minister – has said. He told BBC One’s This Week he had backed the Iraq War because he believed George Bush had a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. [...]
Just get on with it!
by Chris Ames In today’s Observer, Catherine Bennett has a piece headed “Chilcot’s continuing silence on Iraq is an affront to us all”. The gist of the piece is not just frustration at the continuing delays, noticeable as the tenth anniversary of the invasion approaches, but a refusal to accept Chilcot’s excuses, including the suggestion [...]
Telegraph claims further delay
by Chris Ames The Daily Telegraph is reporting that: Families of soldiers killed in Iraq reacted with dismay yesterday after it emerged that Sir John Chilcot’s report into the war has been hit by yet more delays after objections over declassifying Tony Blair’s private messages. It’s another story that links delay with the issue of [...]
The deceitfulness of Jack Straw (again)
by Chris Lamb I am posting the reply sent by the Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, to my Open Letter of 23 August and a further e-mail of 31 August. I shall not revisit the contents of the Open Letter which was posted on the Digest a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, I am disappointed both that [...]
The political class closes ranks
by Chris Ames The Daily Mail carries a tremendous piece by John Kampfner on the current government’s use of the Freedom of Information Act veto to block disclosure of the pre-war Cabinet minutes: The decision not to release official papers on the Iraq war exposes yet again how the political class thinks it is above [...]