The Iraq Inquiry - Chilcott's Circus Clowns Come to Town

[Jan Klimkowski]

Chilcot censors Iraq inquiry's live broadcast

Sir Jeremy Greenstock's evidence on political mistakes after invasion is interrupted


Sir John Chilcot, chairman of the Iraq inquiry, cut the live video of today's hearings, raising fears that he is suppressing evidence on grounds of embarrassment rather that any damage to national security.

"I interrupted the broadcast because of a mention of sensitive information," he said after hearing evidence from Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Britain's UN ambassador before the invasion and special envoy in Baghdad afterwards.

(snip)......

People aware of the piece of intelligence now deleted from the record dismissed it as insignificant. They made it clear that in their view the information was not at all sensitive from the point of view of national security.

Greenstock earlier himself said that relations between the US and UK, including what the US told British officials about conditions in Abu Ghraib, the Iraqi prison where US soldiers abused Iraqi detainees, was "a matter for private discussion". The incidents suggest evidence is being suppressed to avoid political or diplomatic embarrassment rather than genuine issues affecting national security.

After cutting off the live feed, Chilcot referred to "sensitive information as defined in our published protocols". Under protocols agreed by the inquiry, information in official documents can be referred to only after consulting the Whitehall department or government agency concerned.

Edward Davey, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, has written to Chilcot asking him to explain how he is interpreting the protocols. "Chilcot needs to confirm that he pulled the plug on grounds of national security, not political embarrassment," he said. "Any suggestion that the inquiry would be party to suppressing political mistakes – whether by Americans or Brits – would be highly damaging to its credibility."

Inquiry panel members have sometimes referred to documents but not their content even though they are already in the public domain.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/15...eo-cut-off