Key sessions revealed in Hutton document *Glasgow Herald* Aug 25 03

LONDON: Tony Blair [British Prime Minister] chaired a meeting at which it was decided to release the name of Dr David Kelly as the source for the BBC's story that the government "sexed up" its dossier on weapons of mass destruction to justify the war in Iraq, it emerged yesterday.
   The revelation, contained in one of hundreds of documents released by the Hutton inquiry into the death of the government scientist, came as the prime minister's integrity came under attack from both left and right yesterday.
   An aide-memoire by John Scarlett, chairman of the joint intelligence committee (JIC), shows that the prime minister chaired five meetings on July 7 and 8 at which the strategy of leaking Dr Kelly's name to the media was agreed.
   Of the first of three meetings on Tuesday, July 8, to prepare the prime minister for an internal meeting with the House of Commons liaison committee, Mr Scarlett records concern that Mr Blair could be asked about leak inquiries and stresses that he should not "trail" any future announcement.
   At a further meeting in the afternoon, also chaired by the prime minister, a decision appeared to be reached on how to proceed with naming Dr Kelly.
   Mr Scarlett's notes confirm that a press release should be drafted and that Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, should write to the BBC chairman offering Dr Kelly's name. Mr Hoon wrote to Gavyn Davies the next day, July 9, naming Dr Kelly in confidence and asking if he was Andrew Gilligan's source.
   Against the unprecedented publication of the internal government documents, Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour MP and fierce opponent of the Iraq war, claimed the Kelly affair had become Mr Blair's "Watergate", the political fiasco that brought down Richard Nixon.

   "The longer this inquiry goes on, the more e-mails appear, the more documents appear, the more damning evidence appears," Mr Corbyn said.
   "It seems to be a parallel to the Watergate investigation in the States 30 years ago when the president was finally cornered because he had actually been involved in the whole thing from the very beginning. Now, I suspect, Downing Street has been involved from the very beginning."
   The Tories joined the criticism of the government yesterday. Bernard Jenkin, shadow defence secretary, said: "What we have seen so far is the entrails of the New Labour government laid out before the public in a way that is quite staggering.
   "It is not about Geoff Hoon or Alastair Campbell as individuals. It is about the system of government that the prime minister has installed in this country and whether that is a satisfactory and reliable system."
   Mr Blair is expected to come out fighting for his political credibility when he gives evidence to the inquiry this week.
   Geoff Hoon, whose future as defence secretary is in doubt, is also due to give evidence.
   Yesterday, a member of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee said Mr Hoon looked set to go as defence secretary. Fabian Hamilton, a Labour MP who opposed the war in Iraq, said the government had not amended intelligence but added: "I suspect that there may have to be a sacrificial lamb . . . It may be Geoff Hoon."
   A new opinion poll showed Mr Blair's popularity has plummeted among Labour voters as well as the general public and demonstrated the uphill task facing the prime minister when he takes to the witness box in the Hutton inquiry.

   Although a majority thought the decision to go to war was "right", two-thirds believed the government had deceived them over the threat from Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
   On Thursday Mr Blair will be under pressure to explain his role and reasons for exposing the government scientist to public scrutiny.
   Yesterday, Downing Street aides refused to reveal what preparations he was making for appearance at the inquiry.
   The documents released on the internet by Lord Hutton show the extent to which the government's dossier was changed before it was published and give some insight into the debate and angst coursing through the corridors of Whitehall.
   Among the hundreds of e-mails and letters there is also a demand from Dr Kelly's

family to know who was briefing against him in the days following his death.
   Evidence was also released disclosing that Special Branch detectives considered arresting Dr Kelly over a second leak of intelligence to Andrew Gilligan, the BBC's defence correspondent who had originally accused the government of "sexing up" the WMD dossier.
   The documents make no more pleasing reading for the BBC than they do for the government.
   As the long-term future of Richard Sambrook, the BBC's head of news, looks increasingly precarious, it emerged yesterday that he was aware that Mr Gilligan had briefed Richard Ottoway, a Conservative member of the foreign affairs committee.

Papers on internet say Dr Kelly's name released by meeting chaired by Mr Blair Key sessions revealed in Hutton document

Papers on internet say Dr Kelly's name released by meeting chaired by Mr Blair
Key sessions revealed in Hutton document