Blair's letters to Bush about invasion of Iraq 'were removed from official records

[deminks]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1348597/Iraq-inquiry-Tony-Blairs-letters-George-Bush-removed-official-records.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Tony Blair's private letters to George Bush on Iraq were considered so sensitive they were expunged from the official Whitehall record, it was disclosed today.

Evidence released by the Iraq Inquiry shows that No 10 officials drew up two accounts of the then prime minister's dealings with the US President - with all references to their correspondence being removed from the version for general circulation.

Inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot yesterday expressed his frustration that Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell had refused to clear even limited extracts from the letters for publication by the inquiry.

The assurances which Mr Blair gave to Mr Bush regarding his support for US military action against Iraq are expected to form a key element of the questioning when the former prime minister appears before the inquiry for a second time on Friday.

(end snip)

2 sets of records are much like 2 sets of financial books. What are they hiding?

[derby378]

1. Ah, but you forget about the double-entry bookkeeping system

Damn. That's what I get for watching Circle of Friends.

[spanone]

2. this kind of government arrogance makes me support wikileaks

[mike_c]

3. if you or I did this there would be consequences, I presume....

THIS is why we need WikiLeaks. Not that they will ever acquire documents that were destroyed, but because governments lie to cover their misdeeds AND they control the means for investigating and prosecuting those crimes. The game is utterly rigged. Only an outside agent with actual ethics can breach the secrecy of governments and corporations.

[Catherina]

5. +1 n/t

[malaise]

4. What are they hiding?

War crimes