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Dead scientist saw Iraqâs arms as immediate threat
EFL:The late British weapons scientist David Kelly believed Saddam Husseinâs arsenal posed an immediate threat to Western interests, but could not have been deployed within minutes as the British Government claimed. Dr Kelly, who apparently killed himself last July after being named as the source of a controversial BBC story on Britainâs Iraq dossier, said about nine months before he died that Saddamâs chemical weapons could be "filled and deployed within a matter of days and weeks". The Hutton inquiry into his death due to report on Wednesday is expected to severely criticise the BBC and the British Government, which claimed in its September 2002 dossier that Iraqâs weapons of mass destruction could be ready within 45 minutes. I believe the "45 minute" claim came from a former Iraq general who still stands by that time, at least for the period when they were deployed. Dr Kellyâs previously unseen interview was made in the month after the dossier was published. The BBC said a transcript of the interview had been given to the inquiry by Lord Hutton. Its broadcast on Wednesday, a week before the Hutton report, raised questions about why it had not been shown before to defuse last yearâs heated row between 10 Downing Street and the BBC over Iraqâs weapons. Because the BBC didnât want to defuse the issue, they wanted to bring down Tony and stop the war. The interview with Dr Kelly, a former United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq, was shown on the BBCâs flagship investigative TV program, Panorama. When asked if Saddamâs weapons were an immediate threat, Dr Kelly replied: "Yes they are. Even if theyâre not actually filled and deployed today, the capability exists to have them deployed within a matter of days and weeks." Posted by: Steve 2004-01-22 |
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