Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/608/8720
From The Socialist newspaper, 19 January 2010
Spinning the war
THE TEDIUM of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war was briefly interrupted when Tony Blair's former spin doctor, Alistair Campbell, was summoned to testify.
Like a scene from the political satire The Thick of It, Campbell gave a robust defence of the 'dodgy dossier' which underpinned the Blair government's decision to go to war. He denied fabricating evidence about Iraqi WMDs saying: "I defend every single word of the dossier; I defend every single part of the process." And, as a fallback to this risible attempt to justify this work of fiction, Campbell put Sir John Scarlett - the former chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee - in the dock over the dossier, saying he "held the pen".
Unfortunately, Campbell's own diaries show that he "bombarded" Scarlett with at least 15 suggestions on how to 'improve' the dossier, which led to assessments of Saddam's nuclear weapons programme becoming more alarmist.
Reg Keys, a founder member of Military Families Against the War whose soldier son Tom was killed in Iraq, said: "I believe he [Campbell] is a liar. He's lying to save his skin. He knows that the truth was massaged."
Why not click here to join the Socialist Party, or click here to donate to the Socialist Party.
In The Socialist 19 January 2010:
Haitians abandoned, bankers rewarded
Socialist Party editorial
Haiti - disaster compounded by capitalism
Socialist Party news and analysis
Defend jobs, nationalise Bosch
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition gets started
Support grows for new Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Donate to help build a socialist alternative
Youth fight for jobs
Youth Fight for Jobs - demonstrate on 13 March
Socialist Party workplace news
Civil service compensation scheme: A fight for jobs and services
South Yorkshire firefighters forced to strike again
Virgin Trains ticket office workers walk out
International socialist news and analysis
Obama and the Democrats in power
Sri Lankan government condemned
Socialist Party news and analysis
Non jury trials undermine democratic rights
LibDems show their true colours
Socialist Party national committee
Education
Education trusts are "academies lite"
Stop the cuts in higher education
Unison witchhunt
Angry reaction to Unison witch-hunt
Socialist Party review
Home | The Socialist 19 January 2010 | Join the Socialist Party
Join us today!
Printable version
email to friend
