UFO Info Week-End

you can’t pull it back

you can’t pull it back.”The BBC will submit the tape to the inquiry led by Lord Hutton. Referring to the claim Iraq could launch weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes, the source said: “It was a statement that was made and it just got out of all proportion, They were desperate for information, they were pushing hard for information which could be released. Susan Watts, the science editor of Newsnight, recorded her conversations with Dr Kelly, parts of which were later broadcast anonymously as a “source”, using the voice of an actor.The report, which was broadcast on 2 June, suggested Downing Street had been “desperate” to find information to justify its stance on a war against Iraq. The BBC says it has a tape recording of David Kelly voicing serious concerns over the role of Downing Street in the disputed Iraq dossier.
The corporation is planning to submit the tape as evidence during the inquiry into the death of the weapons expert. He is reluctant to delay his return until Friday because of the crisis caused by Dr Kelly’s death.. Hong Kong airport is expected to close tomorrow amid fears that the former colony will be hit by typhoon Imbudo. I am sorry to say that.”Mr Blair is thought likely to cut short his Far East trip and fly back to London a day early today.

One woman student, Lu Yunan, told him: “Nowadays when we think about the UK, we think about the war and the tragedy of Dr Kelly. “Their position would, quite rightly, be untenable,” he said.The BBC dismissed reports that it would call a special meeting of its governors to discuss the crisis engulfing it after its admission that Dr Kelly was the main source for its report that Downing Street “sexed up” a dossier on Iraqi weapons.Gavyn Davies, the BBC chairman, said he and his fellow governors did not know Dr Kelly was the principal source until after his death, but stood by their decision on 6 July that the story was “in the public interest”.Earlier, Mr Blair had visited Beijing’s Tsingua University, where he was questioned by students over Dr Kelly’s death and his stance on Iraq. The feeling at the MoD was that if Mr Hoon had to resign, then Mr Campbell would have to go too.Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory leader, said anyone who put Dr Kelly’s name into the public domain for political reasons would have to resign. It said Mr Hoon would give evidence to the Hutton inquiry “at the earliest opportunity”. One said: “The simple fact is the decision to confirm the name was not made autonomously by the MoD.” Last night the MoD tried to bolster Mr Hoon’s position by criticising “misleading” speculation over how Dr Kelly’s name was divulged.

But there was surprise among Whitehall officials at the Prime Minister’s remarks. “We are not hanging anyone out to dry,” a Downing Street source said. He believed the Government had “acted properly throughout”.Blair aides denied his comments were designed to shift the blame on to Mr Hoon. Mr Blair broke his own taboo on comment on issues at the heart of Lord Hutton’s judicial inquiry during his flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong.He was asked: “Why did you authorise the naming of David Kelly?” He replied: “That is completely untrue and why again, as I say, don’t you wait for the inquiry actually to find the facts because the truth is what we should make judgements on.” Asked whether he had “authorised the leaking of the name of David Kelly”, he said: “Emphatically not. Mr Blair said it was “completely untrue” he had agreed to the leaking of the name but appeared to stop short of exonerating his staff or Mr Hoon.

Tony Blair strongly denied yesterday that he authorised the decision to disclose the identity of David Kelly as he tried to quell speculation about his own role in the period before the death of the Government scientist.
The Prime Minister’s comments may increase the pressure on Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, and Alastair Campbell, the Downing Street director of communications. The mood music at the MoD yesterday appeared to be that if Mr Hoon had to resign over Dr Kelly’s death, Mr Campbell would be likely to go with him.. That, however, could raise the vexed issue of whether the newspapers will breach the journalists’ code by revealing their sources – the reason the BBC resisted the Government’s pressure to disclose its informant.The growing feeling in Whitehall is that the two people from the Government likely to face the most scrutiny at the inquiry are Mr Hoon and Mr Campbell. The Times put more than 20 names to the MoD before it got lucky.Lord Hutton may ask the newspapers whether they received additional help from Number 10 or the MoD in tracking down the mole. Because there are only a few British experts in the field, Dr Kelly’s name was the only one put by the FT to the MoD’s director of news, Pam Teare, who confirmed it.The Guardian offered three names to the MoD press office, which declined to approve the first two but then agreed Dr Kelly was the right one.