Tuesday, 7 December 2010

WikiLeaks cable reveals secret pledge to protect US at Iraq inquiry | World news | The Guardian

WikiLeaks cable reveals secret pledge to protect US at Iraq inquiry

Ministry of Defence told US that UK had 'put measures in place' to protect American interests during Chilcot inquiry

Chilcot Iraq inquiry Tony Blair and other senior British officials were called to give evidence at the Chilcot inquiry, but no US officials were called. Photograph: PA

The British government promised to protect America's interests during the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war, according to a secret cable sent from the US embassy in London.

Jon Day, the Ministry of Defence's director general for security policy, told US under-secretary of state Ellen Tauscher that the UK had "put measures in place to protect your interests during the UK inquiry into the causes of the Iraq war".

The admission came in the cable sent on 22 September 2009, which recorded a series of high-level meetings between Tauscher and UK defence officials and diplomats, which involved the then foreign secretary, David Miliband.

Day was a senior adviser to the Labour government, and told the American delegation that "Iraq seems no longer to be a major issue in the US", but said it would become a big issue – a "feeding frenzy" – in the UK "when the inquiry takes off".

The revelation of the move to defend Washington threatens to undermine the inquiry, which was launched by Gordon Brown 'to identify lessons that can be learned from the Iraq conflict'. It is due to deliver its findings around the turn of the year.

The diplomats do not record which measures the British government took to protect US interests. No American officials were called to give evidence in public, and evidence from US officials was heard in private during visits by inquiry members to the US. The inquiry was also refused permission to publish letters between George Bush and Tony Blair written in 2002 in the run-up to the war, even though they were referred to in evidence. There were fears that the release of the details could harm both UK-US relations, and those with other countries. In January, a Blair ally told the Guardian: "They are full of scurrilous remarks about other people, including [Jacques] Chirac [the former French president]."

Tonight, Andrew Burgin, a spokesman for the Stop the War Coalition, was reported as saying: "This shows is the beginning of the cover-up".

"This really brings the whole inquiry into disrepute," he said. "Those involved in this cover-up must be held to account. The implications are so serious that there may need to be a new inquiry."

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Comments in chronological order (Total 49 comments)

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  • TruckTurner

    30 November 2010 9:19PM

    The admission came in the cable sent on 22 September 2009, which recorded a series of high-level meetings between Tauscher and UK defence officials and diplomats, which involved the then foreign secretary, David Miliband.

    Anyone still think David should be Labour leader instead of Ed?

  • mustspeak

    30 November 2010 9:30PM

    No, Truck Turner, I certainly dont. david was is an arch blairite, full of the same Blairite deception and spin. The labour MPs, so prone to shoot themselves in their feet, just do not realise the deliverence they have been given from that blairite david Milli-thingy. I am glad Ed Miliband is the leader.
    As to Blair himself, i dearly would like to see him get his just deserts for all the lies, deception and murders he has committed.

  • DeimosP

    30 November 2010 9:46PM

    From the start it has been pretty obvious that Chilcot has been about finding nothing and covering-up anything and everything. The questioning the make-up of the inquiry team, etc.

    This leak now just confirms the inquiry as a cove-up. Clearly Chilcot now has to tell us what this protection mechanism is if he is to pretend to have any credibility. Over to you Chilcot ...

  • fishandart

    30 November 2010 9:48PM

    So even the Chilcot inquiry has been rigged in advance. Is this the most politically corrupt country in the history of the planet ?

  • Kerrygold

    30 November 2010 10:25PM

    Maybe if we give some more billions in Overseas Aid we will be able to teach them about Governance and integrity in politics.

    And some of these Security experts seem to be little more than bar room gossips! I'm just surprised Damien Mc Bride didn't put in his tuppenworth.

  • truthspeaker

    30 November 2010 10:47PM

    Well this is prima facie evidence that the inquiry is rigged to be a whitewash. We either need a new inquiry, or Chilcot needs to disclose exactly what these measures were and repudiate them.

  • truthspeaker

    30 November 2010 10:48PM

    fishandart

    30 November 2010 9:48PM

    So even the Chilcot inquiry has been rigged in advance. Is this the most politically corrupt country in the history of the planet ?

    Sadly, no, this is about average. It's just people are paying attention for a change.

  • Kaiteur

    30 November 2010 11:42PM

    Yes protecting US interests by stacking the committee with pro-Iraq War pro-Blair mandarins... Chilcote commission, who precisely do they think they are fooling?

  • Gegenbeispiel

    30 November 2010 11:42PM

    If you start a war on the basis of lies piled upon lies piled upon lies in order to please the ego of a macho and foolish foreign potentate (G.W. Bush), "national security" and integrity become incompatible. End of.

  • Kertwang

    1 December 2010 12:15AM

    Yet again this comes as no surprise. At least its a solid riposte to all those ghastly Blair apologists who were all over CIF during the public hearings, defending their man and the integrity of the Chilcot Inquiry.

  • agreewith

    1 December 2010 1:03AM

    Of course everyone denouncing this cover -up will be a 'Leftie' and anti-American, and nothing like this could ever happen on the coalitions watch....

  • mswinkle

    1 December 2010 1:19AM

    I wrote this back in Jan in response to this farce of an inquiry

    Blair Witch
    Explain to me this inquiry, exactly how it works,
    You want me to tell the truth
    You are my judge and jury
    So full of sound and fury
    appointed by my mate
    what great tale will this commission create?

    Sir John Chiclet, let the show begin,
    let’s find the smoking gum
    add a little drama to to daily grind of the hum drum
    Let’s scratch their itch, give a forum to their opinions
    let them believe they are more than indentured minions

    Did I illegally start a war with iraq?
    Did Reagan through iran-contra
    introduce America to crack?

    At david’s camp I met with a Bush
    and on that night, his message clear and bright
    “thou shall not kill without a reason
    WMD’s will protect us from treason”

    Armed with my defense
    i rushed back to old blighty
    Tony Piper played the flute
    Promised friends tons of loot
    sounded the alarm
    it worked like an old snake charm

    Yes, there was dissent
    But I knew I won
    better they raise their fists to heaven
    my plan was on.

    Anyway let’s get back to the proceedings at hand
    By the way in America, this inquisition
    has barely hit the newsstand

    Given it involves the last administration
    and its illegal act
    like me, they know this bald tribunal
    does not sound the bell for theirs or my funeral

    I thank you sir john chiclet for this time
    for using the taxpayers dime
    Acquitting me of any crime

    I could not afford this PR campaign
    clearing my run for EU President again
    I will not forget your name
    Now, is it too early for champagne?

    Patricia O’Connor, January 2010

  • truthspeaker

    1 December 2010 1:35AM

    Not only should this be a front page story, but the Guardian should be asking Chilcot for an interview right now so he can explain himself.

  • JohnRennie

    1 December 2010 2:02AM

    Surely the makeup of the panel on the Chilcot Inquiry should have told us that it was meant to be a whitewash. What will be genuine comedy will be how these
    fools will present their conclusions without further humiliating themselves now we know what the task was that they have been commanded to deliver i.e the protection of American interests. It cannot be done. Thank goodness for wikileaks.

  • Monkeybiz

    1 December 2010 2:31AM

    Hardly surprising, but nonetheless, bring it on wikileaks - let's see what other skeletons are in the closet of the British & US governments, that supposedly represent their respective voters' interests.

  • Indianrook

    1 December 2010 2:58AM

    Does it have any information? I don't think the world is not expecting more than this from the royal butler of US of America. By the way how can US of America intimidate the Wiki leaks for espionage when their own diplomats were/are asked to do the same. Secondly how can the western media be refrained to publish these details in the land of freedom of expression and the provenance free and fair democracy? Height of Oxymoron.

  • Zogz

    1 December 2010 3:47AM

    As was said at the time- the inquiry was a sham. Now we know a little bit more as to why and how its a sham.

    US and UK special relationship? Yeah, thick as thieves!

  • salimai

    1 December 2010 7:53AM

    Brown has tried to prove that he was not pro-war, and has wriggled out of any blame by laying all the responsibility on Blair. Doesn't look like that any more!

  • salimai

    1 December 2010 7:55AM

    Brown has tried to prove that he was not pro-war, and has wriggled out of any blame by laying all the responsibility on Blair. Doesn't look like that any more!

  • Paddy01

    1 December 2010 8:12AM

    Sorry Guys, this won't make the front pages, the BBC "Treason" over the World Cup Bid is much more important to the Tabloids and the proles.

  • JayReilly

    1 December 2010 8:18AM

    The really is nothing so transparent and reputable as the British establishment, a glorious collection of privately educated, mendacious parasites. Chilcott was a whitewash and a joke long before this leak appeared, but this really does put the issue to bed. Chilcott is little more than a waste of taxpayers money - we pay them to lie to us.

  • DanielEdwardAllen

    1 December 2010 8:20AM

    Guardian - surely this is front page news! And worthy of detailed follow-up....

    Chilcot is now wounded beyond repair. How can it proceed with its unacceptable MO now public?

    At the very least the fact that this inquiry is a cover up is now in the open - a journalistic investigation into what assurances were given to the US, and how (voluntarily, under coercion?) should follow. Or perhaps that would do too much damage to Labour politicians for some to stomach...?

  • delphinia

    1 December 2010 8:39AM

    All the fuss about losing our sovereignty to Brussels is obviously to conceal the fact we are completely controlled from Washington.

    Like all the other leaks, this merely confirms what many of us strongly suspected.

    I just hope we have not paid FIFA officials enough to get the World Cup.

  • apint4me

    1 December 2010 8:43AM

    @fishandart

    So even the Chilcot inquiry has been rigged in advance.

    "The outcome of British public enquiries are always known in advance."
    Sir Humphry Appleby (paraphrased)

  • Getridofem

    1 December 2010 8:50AM

    Are we surprised?

    Did anyone really have any faith in the Chilcot Inquiry which is now totally undermined. Most of us out here on the snow-bound streets of bankrupt Britain always thought that it was a waste of time and money.

    We know that David Milliband was instrumental in trying to prevent even the High Court referring to certain information supplied by the U.S. The new government has just settled the court action rather than have further revelations about our involvement in torture etc. Thousands of pounds given to men who, at the very least, clearly had little love for the UK. "Fixing" the miserable little Chilcot inquiry would not be a problem.

    No wonder that Chilcot allowed Blair to "grandstand" and talk about Iran and the future. Chilcot just does not have the ability to "get to the point" and to keep witnesses to the point.

    Unless Chilcot is simply an "establishment man" then he should reveal the measures which were put in place to protect the Americans and then resign from the Inquiry. Won't happen though will it ?

  • Liesandstats

    1 December 2010 9:09AM

    All this proves is that the inquiry is a waste of time and an establishment cover up. David milliband has a lot to answer for thank god he did not win the labour leadership election.
    You know I was watching the other day (for those of you who are old enough to remember) original episodes of the Lone Ranger and I couldn't help remembering there was a time when I was naive enough to think we were the good guys. How stupid was that!

  • Megg

    1 December 2010 10:07AM

    It was obvious from the way that Tony Blair was able to take charge of his session at the Inquiry , that this would be another Establishment whitewash, HE HAS STILL NOT EXPLAINED WHY LORD GOLDSMITH'S ADVICE CHANGED IN ONE WEEK and was allowed to get away with this omissio. There was only one beacon of hope, and that was the cut -to-the-chase evidence of Elizabeth Wilmshurst, she was, of course, the ONLY one to resign with honour over the Iraq War. So it seems that Sir John will join Lord Hutton and Lord Butler in acquiring expertise in the application of very thick coats of whitewash.

  • dabble123

    1 December 2010 10:14AM

    All politicians of all parties were and are totally complicit, otherwise why have Bliar and Co not been indicted for war crimes????
    Certainly brings up the questions surrounding the demise of Dr Kelly again now doesn't it?
    The only real solution would be the fumigation of the rats nests that are the Commons and the Lords

  • RoyRoger

    1 December 2010 11:22AM

    Ministry of Defence told US that UK had 'put measures in place' to protect American interests during Chilcot inquiry

    WHITEWASH;
    STRING PULLING
    FIXED;
    RIGGED;
    GERRYMANDERED;


    Our politicians: The majority of them are a shower of shit!!

    We have always had an inkling but thanks to WikiLeaks much has been confirmed.

    We must do every thing in our power to protect that great citizen
    Julian Assange

    Can we nominate him for the, Nobel Peace Prize? Definitely a much better option than Obama.


    Now lets get that, Bush and Blair, on a one way trip to the Netherlands - '' The Court Case of the Century '

  • Madranon

    1 December 2010 11:53AM

    The Chilcott "inquiry" was then, just a waste of money, the parameters of which any conclusion could have been drawn was so narrow that that the result had probably already been drawn up. What a waste of time.

  • MarciaKiaBrixton

    1 December 2010 10:24PM

    I attended a good chunk of the Chilcot Inquiry and came to the conclusion that it is an irrelevancy along with its members. It appeared to me that they were more interested in playing to the naive gallery (mostly empty) and not getting to the nuts and bolts of the Iraq war. They actually made me sick after a while, because it was clear that their job was to protect Tony Blair and the US position, regardless of life lost or lies told. I disrespected them even more when they accommodated that big old fat illiterate buffoon John Prescott. Need I say any more!

  • Pindi

    2 December 2010 6:18AM

    The revelation of the move to defend Washington threatens to undermine the inquiry

    You mean that the enquiry might be a whitewash?

    Now who´d have thunk that?

  • Barbearian

    2 December 2010 3:38PM

    Special relationship? That between servant and master maybe. And the US complains about other countries portraying them 'negatively'! They're just a gang of bullies.

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