No 10 cleared on Iraq legal advice

[ze_dscherman]

Butler report expected to say Downing Street did not lean on attorney general in run-up to war

Nicholas Watt, political correspondent
Tuesday July 13, 2004
The Guardian

Downing Street is likely to be cleared of a damning accusation at the heart of the Iraq war - that senior figures leant on the attorney general to change his legal advice at the 11th hour to sanction the conflict.

As No 10 announced that Tony Blair will be handed a copy of the Butler review into intelligence failings today, a consensus emerged at Whitehall last night that Lord Goldsmith will escape censure.

SNIP

Opposition politicians, who will be allowed to read the report from 6am tomorrow, believe that Lord Butler will criticise No 10 for allowing intelligence to enter the public domain without the usual caveats. Ministers also fear that Lord Butler may take a dim view of the power of political figures, such as Alastair Campbell and Jonathan Powell, whose seniority may have "subconsciously influenced" intelligence officials, as Lord Hutton declared.

As Downing Street prepares to fend off opposition attacks, it emerged yesterday that Lord Goldsmith has not received a letter from Lord Butler. Such a letter would have been a sure sign that he was in the firing line. Speculation about the position of the attorney general grew in recent weeks amid reports that he gave the go-ahead to the war on March 17 last year - on the eve of the crucial Commons debate - after pressure from No 10.

SNIP

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,1260063,00.html

[PurityOfEssence]

1. We declare ourselves not guilty

Regardless of what the Butler saw...

Or as the Pythons would say: "Not guilcup"

[xchrom]

2. ok -- raise your hands

if you expected anything else?
helllloooo? is this thing on?
hands? anybody?
damn it's quiet in here.

[mom cat]

8. Oh Golly GEE! I am sooooooooooo surprised

not :wtf:

[Benhurst]

3. Another cover-up. And is often the case in British pulp fiction,

the Butler did it.

[The Stranger]

4. I cannot tell you how many times the Poodle has been declared finished,

and beaten the rap.

[KoKo]

6. He and the Chimp use the same "toothpaste" remember.....

joined at the hip....drinking the Kool Aid together...Tweedledum & Tweedledee?

[KoKo]

5. Written in cooperation with the Repugs on the US Senate Intelligence

Committe, I presume? Did Pat Roberts fax over a copy of the "Majority Report" so that Butler could do a neat little re-write to suit the British "style."

Unbelievable. They are setting this up just to say "It's all the US CIA's fault...we don't know nuthin." Clever, or problematic for them?

[atreides1]

7. And Did Anyone

Really expect anything different?