British judge pledges rapid probe into death of Iraq expert

LONDON (AFP) Jul 21, 2003
The British judge heading the inquiry into the death of an arms expert at the centre of a row over intelligence used to justify the war on Iraq pledged Monday to carry out the probe as a matter of urgency.

Lord Hutton has been charged with investigating the apparent suicide last week of David Kelly, who was confirmed on Sunday as the source behind a BBC news report that claimed Britain had "sexed up" its dossier on Iraq to justify the US-led war.

"I intend to conduct the inquiry with expedition and to report as soon as possible. It is also my intention to conduct the inquiry mostly in public," Hutton said.

The British government had called for the investigation to be conducted "urgently," Hutton said in a statement. "The government has further stated that it will provide me with the fullest co-operation and that it expects all other authorities and parties to do the same."

But Hutton added: "I make it clear that it will be for me to decide as I think right within my terms of reference the matters which will be the subject of my investigation."

Former British foreign secretary Robin Cook, who resigned his cabinet position as leader of the House of Commons in protest at Britain's involvement in the war, said Hutton had been "asked to do the impossible."

"He has been handed the job of inquiring into the events that led to the tragic death of Dr David Kelly and in the same breath been warned off looking into the events that led to the war on Iraq," he wrote in an article in The Independent newspaper.

"How can an enquiry into Dr Kelly's death fail to examine the reasons for war?" he added.

"The government chose to launch a heated war with the BBC as a diversion from explaining why it had launched war on Iraq," he charged.

On a trip to China, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is facing the biggest crisis of his career over the Iraq allegations, said he would "cooperate fully" with the judicial investigation.

"Of course, there will be continuing debate as to whether the war was justified or not. I happen to believe it was," he said.

The British leader, who was US President George W. Bush's closest ally in the war, is facing mounting calls for his resignation, with an opinion poll Monday finding that 39 percent of voters believe he should quit.

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