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WMD draft bolsters “sexed-up” charge

LONDON: The British government’s controversial claim that Saddam Hussein had the capability to launch his alleged weapons of mass destruction within 45-minutes was not reportedly contained in the original draft of what came to be known as Downing Street’s “dodgy dossier” on Iraq’s WMDs released in September 2002 by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The original draft, prepared by Foreign Office Press chief John Williams, was made public on Monday under the Freedom of Information Act after the government lost an appeal against the Information Commissioner’s order that the document should be released.

Earlier, the government had refused to release the “Williams draft” claiming that it could inhibit the “effective conduct of government.”

But the Information Commissioner, acting on a complaint by a researcher Chris Ames who had sought the release, ruled that the balance was “in favour of disclosure.”

According to the BBC, the draft “does not include the 45-minute claim.”

Releasing the draft, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said it was not used as the basis for the dossier nor was it a part of the formal drafting process.

“The document produced by John Williams, then head of the FCO’s press office, was not commissioned as part of the formal drafting process and was not used as the basis for the dossier the government subsequently published, which was produced by the JIC [Joint Intelligence Committee.]”

Critics however said the fact that the 45-minute claim was not mentioned in the draft confirmed allegations that the final dossier was “sexed up” by Downing Street to heighten the “threat” from Saddam to justify invasion of Iraq.

The allegation about “sexing up” intelligence to suit political ends was first made by the BBC on the basis of a briefing by government scientist David Kelly sparking a furore.

Dr. Kelly committed suicide after being named as the source of the BBC report.

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