BillyTK
27th June 2003, 03:20 AM
The BBC has got into a bit of a tiff with Prime Minister Tony Blair's "Director of Communications" Alistair Campbell, over a report by BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan which mentioned that:
[...]a senior British intelligence official had told him that the government's first dossier on Iraq's weapons programme, published last September, had been "sexed up" at Downing Street's request.
In particular, the official claimed that Downing Street had asked for extra prominence to be given to the suggestion Iraq could launch a chemical or biological strike within 45 minutes of an order.
Mr Campbell--who is an influential, but unelected member of Blair's inner circle--claims that the BBC is pursuing an anti-war agenda. However, Labour MP Brian Donohoe has suggested that this is a deliberate tactic to divert attention from the buck-passing heard at the Commons foreign affairs select committee, which is currently investigating the evidence used to justify the Britain's involvement in the war on Iraq.
Straw says, "Them bigger boys made us do it!" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3015272.stm)
Campbell says, "That BBC is a bloody bunch of commies!" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3020448.stm)
The BBC says, "Put up or shut up, Campbell!" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3021626.stm)
Poor BBC, they're often criticised for being too establishment and right-wing, and now they're being criticised for being too anti-establishment! And by an employee of a Labour Prime Minister, no less!
[...]a senior British intelligence official had told him that the government's first dossier on Iraq's weapons programme, published last September, had been "sexed up" at Downing Street's request.
In particular, the official claimed that Downing Street had asked for extra prominence to be given to the suggestion Iraq could launch a chemical or biological strike within 45 minutes of an order.
Mr Campbell--who is an influential, but unelected member of Blair's inner circle--claims that the BBC is pursuing an anti-war agenda. However, Labour MP Brian Donohoe has suggested that this is a deliberate tactic to divert attention from the buck-passing heard at the Commons foreign affairs select committee, which is currently investigating the evidence used to justify the Britain's involvement in the war on Iraq.
Straw says, "Them bigger boys made us do it!" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3015272.stm)
Campbell says, "That BBC is a bloody bunch of commies!" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3020448.stm)
The BBC says, "Put up or shut up, Campbell!" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3021626.stm)
Poor BBC, they're often criticised for being too establishment and right-wing, and now they're being criticised for being too anti-establishment! And by an employee of a Labour Prime Minister, no less!