At 2053 18/07/2003 -0400, you wrote:
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I find the news about Dr. Kelly exceptionally disgusting (some of us identify with the
fate of persons we imagine might be ourselves...).
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Thank you for your concern which I will accept as genuine. I've deleted the following flippancy which, as usual, you can't resist.
We are now in a terrible situation when a man as intelligent and gentle as Dr Kelly killed himself. This is a Greek tragedy!
Let's put David Kelly in context because it is becoming increasingly clear that he was a far more experienced and authoritative scientist than has been appreciated, and he has thus been treated abominably, particularly by politicians. He was previously Director of microbiology at Porton Down, the government research unit, and was one of the world experts on chemical and biological warfare. He spent many years in Iraq as an Inspector, and was respected by his fellows as an "Inspector of Inspectors" and hated, of course, by Saddam Hussein himself. (Incidentally, the previous Director but two, about 25 years ago, also killed himself. We never knew why -- but no doubt because of the burden he was carrying on behalf of politicians.)
Here are two tributes to David Kelly from the BBC website:
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I met David Kelly when I was visiting Iraq in 1993. He was a scientist from the top drawer who embodied all that is great in the concept of service to one's country and the wider world community. Calm, extremely intelligent and with a warm self deprecating manner.
William St.John Barry, Ibiza Spain
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I have known David as a friend and fellow scientist since 1968, as have our wives. I very am distressed at this news and stunned by what has happened to him. It reflects very badly on UK government. Indeed I feel a mounting sense of anger at the way he seems to have been treated. Professional scientific advisors of integrity should not be treated as pawns in political games in this overt way.
Prof Keith Harrap
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My belief is that is that David Kelly did indeed tell a little fib when he spoke to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons three days ago. He probably *had* told Gilligan, the BBC foreign affairs journalist, that the 'Intelligence' dossier used by the government to justify war had been "sexed up" by Blair's spin doctor, Campbell, to give the impression that Saddam was capable of unleashing WMDs on British personnel within 45 minutes (which is what Blair told the House of Commons). However, that *is* only a little fib and there was no-one in the whole world more entitled to say this, and I am sure that he only said it out of a sense of responsibility that the public should be told the truth. Equally, I also believe that Gilligan told a little fib when he said that it was a senior Intelligence official who told him about the sexing-up. After all, although Kelly was a Ministry of Defence official and not Secret Service, he was the most authoritative person of anybody to give opinions on this sort of thing.
I think it is certain that Campbell -- in my opinion a pretty ruthless man -- will have to resign, as also Gilligan -- a basically honourable man. As I have forecasted several times on FW list for months, Blair's position has become increasingly untenable. On Question Time on last night's BBC radio, only 3 (repeat three, according to the question master, David Dimbleby) of a middle class studio audience of about 400 people now think that Blair had been telling the truth in the reasons he gave when he went to war on Iraq. Whatever his reputation in America, and the sycophantic attention given to him by Congress, Blair is simply not believed by the majority of people in this country -- particularly the intelligentsia. He is discredited. Nothing he says now will be believed and he will have to go very soon. At the moment everybody in this country is stunned and a mighty explosion will occur in the next few days within and without the Labour Party unless Blair resigns.
I can't judge the situation in America as well as here but I suspect that Bush will start to lose credibility pretty steeply from now onwards. I think an avalanche will start to descend on him and Cheney pretty soon. I will be surprised if he is re-elected. I only hope that the Republican Senators (in particular) wake up in time to realise that Bush is not a man whom any self-respecting nation should have as leader.
KSH
Keith Hudson, 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath, England
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