British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon on Monday admitted he did nothing to correct newspaper reports that Iraq could launch its weapons of mass destruction over long distances against British troops, though he knew the stories were wrong.
During his second appearance before Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of the government scientist David Kelly, Hoon was questioned about newspaper reports based on the government's September dossier on Iraq's chemical and biological weapons.
He admitted that at the time of publication of the dossier he knew that the claim that Iraq could launch the weapons within 45 minutes of an order referred only to "battlefield munitions" such as shells.
Press reports, however, assumed the weapons related to strategic, or long-range missiles. The day after the dossier was published one paper claimed the regime of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein could launch missiles within 45 minutes that could hit British bases in Cyprus.
Andrew Caldecott, counsel for the BBC, asked: "A number of newspapers had banner headlines suggesting that this related to strategic missiles or bombs ... Why was no corrective statement issued?"
Hoon said the media would not have run corrections.
Caldecott asked: "Are you saying that the press would not report a corrective statement that the dossier was meant to refer, in this context, to battlefield munitions and not to strategic weapons?"
Hoon replied: "All that I do know from my experience is that, generally speaking, newspapers are resistant to corrections."
In a tone of mock surprise Caldecott asked: "But, Mr. Hoon, you must have been horrified that the dossier had been misrepresented in this way. It was a complete distortion of what it actually was intended to convey, was it not?"
Hoon said: "Well, I was not horrified. I recognized that journalists occasionally write things that are more dramatic than the material upon which it is based."
Caldecott asked if the real reason was that to ask for a correction would have revealed the dossier to have serious flaws: "It would have been politically highly embarrassing because it would have revealed the dossier as published was at least highly capable of being misleading."
"Well, I do not accept that," Hoon said. Most of the questioning of Hoon centred on his department's treatment of Kelly. Caldecott asked why the defense ministry did not just name him, after getting his consent. Hoon replied: "His consent had not been sought. And we do not know whether he would have consented to that process."
The defense secretary stuck to his defense that Kelly knew his name would inevitably emerge, and Hoon said officials told him the scientist "accepted" that.
Jeremy Gompertz, counsel for the Kelly family, asked: "What I suggest to you is that there was a deliberate government strategy to leak Dr. Kelly's name into the public arena without appearing to do so."
Hoon responded: "Well, you have put that point to a number of witnesses; they have all denied it; and I deny it."
Gompertz: "His name was leaked, was it not?"
Hoon: "Not by me."
Gompertz said the defense ministry's July 8 press statement announcing that an official had admitted meeting Andrew Gilligan without revealing a name, gave details narrowing down the possible candidates.
Hoon admitted those details helped some reporters identify Kelly.
Gompertz said the mere issuing of a statement intensified the media hunt for Gilligan's source: "We have evidence from Mr. Norton-Taylor of the Guardian. He said that it whetted his appetite, which I have no doubt is substantial. Did that occur to you?"
Hoon: "I recognize that the issuing of a statement was likely to lead to journalists wanting even more than they had previously to identify Andrew Gilligan's source ... I accept that this was bound to increase their enthusiasm for making that identification."
Hoon accused Gompertz of misleading the defense ministry's head of news when he cross-examined her last week.
Gompertz accused the government of a "conspiracy" in wanting Kelly outed.
Hoon said he played no part in preparing the dossier, but admitted agreeing that Kelly's name would be confirmed.
Hoon admitted that the answers to some of those questions "might have assisted journalists." The inquiry has heard evidence that appearing in public before members of parliament placed added pressure on Kelly before his apparent suicide.
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