Anti war protestors interrupt MPs' debate into the Hutton report

[muriel_volestrangler]

on the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk) ticker now. Several were shouting "No more whitewash" and other things, one after the other. They've suspended the debate for at least 10 minutes.

Not on the web pages yet, but it looks like Blair is going to blame Joint Intelligence Committee chairman John Scarlett for ignoring Dr. Brian Jones' objections to the language in the report - he said "Downing Street was never told about that", or words to that effect.

now there's a link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3458541.stm

Also:
Downing Street in whitewash demo
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3458119.stm

[non sociopath skin]

1. Dead in the water.

At least Hutton looked for a while like it might pinpoint Tony the Tory and his League of Gentlemen.

This one is a no-brainer. Its membership looks like a Who's Who guide to the establishment and - just in case - its remit doesn't allow it to finger the folk most likely to blame for an illegal war.

I maybe did the Liberal Democrats an injustice yesterday. It probably makes sense to stay well away from this travesty.

The Skin

[Briar]

2. Moreover, it will meet in private

and most of the evidence will be secret (for reasons of national security, of course). Hutton appeared to be working for justice because his enquiry was public and published all its evidence. We'd all read that evidence, which is how we knew his verdict was a whitewash - it ignored most of it. Tony has learned his lesson. This will be a stealth whitewash job and we'll be expected to just accept the verdict as delivered by our "betters".

[Jack Rabbit]

3. It's good to see the British people hitting the streets

They are protesting official lies that cost human lives. Normally, we should hold that there is something sacred and inviolable about the proceedings of a legislative body in a democratic society. However, Mr. Blair's false justifications for the invasion of Iraq profane that process. This is a time for civil disobedience.

From the BBC story:

Mr Blair said the best defence against claims of a whitewash was Lord Hutton's "forensic" report clearing government of sexing up its Iraq weapons dossier.

In other words, Mr. Blair's defense against charges of whitewash to to hold up a bucket of the stuff.