Now It's Blair's Turn To Testify

By Helen Gibson

Alistair Campbell, Prime Minister Tony Blair's powerful communications director and the man accused of "sexing up" the British case for going to war in Iraq, did his best last week to defend himself and his boss. He appeared to be smooth and understated at the investigation into the apparent suicide of David Kelly, the former government weapons expert who shared with a BBC reporter his doubts about the government's case for war, got dragged before parliamentary committees and then took his own life. Campbell had a denial ready for the central question of whether he had influenced the words used in the British claim that Iraq could deploy weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes: "I had no input, output, influence upon them whatsoever at any stage in the process." But the case is hardly closed. There has been plenty of testimony about meetings, some including the Prime Minister, devoted to the worried search for evidence to harden the case for war.

Further roiling speculation was senior diplomat David Broucher's testimony about a peculiar conversation he had with Kelly in February, before the scientist talked to the BBC. Kelly told Broucher that if Britain invaded Iraq, Kelly would "probably be found dead in the woods." Kelly was upset that he had told Iraqi scientists that there would be no repercussions if they cooperated with the U.N., and Broucher surmised that Kelly agonized over betraying his contacts. The revelation brought the investigation face to face with Kelly's pain. The emotional pitch will remain high at least until late this week, when Blair is scheduled to testify. --By Helen Gibson