 "My argument to you today is this: we will not win the battle against this global extremism unless we win it at the level of values as much as force, unless we show we are even-handed, fair and just in our application of those values to the world." - Tony Blair
4 June, 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2961432.stm
Rogue elements within the intelligence services have been blamed by a senior minister for briefing against the government about the weapons threat posed by Iraq.
The Leader of the Commons, Dr John Reid, said journalists were fed false information which accused Tony Blair of exaggerating the size of Saddam Hussein's arsenal.
This fresh development comes as the prime minister prepares to answer questions in the Commons on the lack of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) found in Iraq since the war.
Dr Reid said "a rogue element" or "indeed elements" told journalists Downing Street had doctored the reports to strengthen the case for war against Iraq.
No 10 backs Reid on 'rogue elements'
Transcript: John Reid v John Humphrys
Matthew Tempest, political correspondent
Wednesday June 4, 2003
Downing Street today backed John Reid's claim that "rogue elements" in the security services were spreading falsehoods about alleged attempts by Downing Street to harden intelligence service reports about the military capacity of Iraq.
At his regular morning press briefing, the prime minister's official spokesman said Downing Street had "no disagreement with what John Reid said".
However, he qualified his comments by adding: "What John Reid was not saying is that we believe that there is some sort of conspiracy by the intelligence agencies per se."
"In terms of rogue elements, the question that we have to pose is this: on what are these allegations based? What is the evidence, what is the source, what status does that source have within the intelligence community, if it is a source?"
"And given that both the prime minister and the JIC [joint intelligence committee] have indicated that the stories are 100% wrong, what is the motivation of those who make those false allegations?"
Mr Blair's spokesman also joined Mr Reid, the leader of House of Commons, in challenging the media to prove their case.
He said: "I think it is actually up to those who make these allegations, give them such, dare I use the words undue significance and prominence, to answer the question on what authority, source, basis, are those allegations made.
Earlier, Mr Reid had accused news organisations of taking the word of "rogue elements" within the security services over that of the prime minister.[How dare they challenge the glorious war leader's superior imagination / paranoid delusions! How could they possibly imagine that with their speciaised knowledge and experience they are better placed to do their job than the nutter?]
The open row has now rumbled on for the best part of a week, with the BBC's defence correspondent, Andrew Gilligan, elucidating his claim that the government allegedly hyped up the evidence against Saddam Hussein, saying that four separate security personnel had confirmed his story with one claiming that No 10 had "sexed up" the September dossier.
Curious saga of cabinet bruiser and the R-word
Controversy grows amid attempts to unravel truth of minister's 'rogue' elements claim
Nicholas Watt and Michael White
Thursday June 5, 2003
The Guardian
Government sources were backpedalling last night over a series of comments from John Reid, the leader of the Commons, that "rogue" elements within the intelligence services were actively undermining Downing Street.
Dr Reid launched his attacks on uncorroborated briefings from within the intelligence services in a string of interviews on Tuesday night and yesterday morning.
One government source said last night that Dr Reid, who relishes his reputation as the most silver-tongued member of the cabinet, had "embellished" the agreed line.
Tony Blair and the Downing Street press office pointedly did not use the key word, "rogue". By teatime yesterday Dr Reid was claiming that the Times, the media outlet through which he first unleashed his invective - had introduced the word "rogue" into a conversation and he had repeated it.
This explanation appeared implausible because government sources were using the R-word as early as Monday afternoon. The Guardian was told that Downing Street would emerge unscathed from any inquiry because a "rogue spook" had been identified as the source of the original BBC story which sparked the row.
Indeed, the decision to wheel out Dr Reid - a famous bruiser within Westminster circles - was made at a meeting of government strategists on Monday.
Fearing that Downing Street had lost control of the agenda while the prime minister was abroad, Dr Reid would attempt to put the row over whether Downing Street had misused intelligence into perspective by blaming "rogue elements" in the security services for attempting to undermine the government.
This is the start of a series of events that included the death of Dr. David Kelly, the Hutton Inquiry, the sacking of Andrew Gilligan and the resignation of Greg Dyke and served as a distraction. Was this all about Blair's 'personality' and a slight to AC?
| 
