Press Releases for 2004
HUTTON LETS GOVERNMENT OFF LIGHTLY
28th January 2004Lord Hutton's report into the death of Dr David Kelly was released today. The report lets the Government off with remarkably light criticism and seriously criticises the BBC. Hazel Dawe, a Senior Lecturer in Law, has been following the case and comments:
"A decent human being, and an exemplary scientist, is dead. Thousands of Iraqis have also died in a war which breached the Charter of the United Nations. Lord Hutton was much too restricted in what he could investigate in this Inquiry. For example, repeated claims that the United States Government intended to attack Iraq before '9-11' are a very pertinent area for investigation. Such research by the Hutton Inquiry could have unveiled the pressure put by the US Government on the British Government to support war despite the lack of justification in terms of global terrorism or Weapons of Mass Destruction. I am very surprised that Lord Hutton would find attempts by Downing Street to emphasise Iraq as a threat, in the so-called 'dodgy dossier' as unworthy of critical comment. In letting the Government off lightly, the Hutton report has the effect of protecting Government decision-makers who pursued an illegal war with thousands of casualties. This is an appalling precedent.
"My conclusion is that an Inquiry into the reasons for going to war, and the fact that the public and parliament were misled by our government, is still needed. The terms of reference of Lord Hutton's Inquiry were too narrow and criticism of Government is confined to a minor concern about how the Ministry of Defence treated Dr Kelly." ENDS c266 words
FURTHER INFORMATION: Hazel Dawe, Campaigns Officer, East Kent Green Party on 01233 645167 or 07956 256272. Contact address: 10 Hillbrow Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4QH.
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