Warmonger John Scarlett Knighted

Here's evidence that the USA is not the only country which makes heroes of its war criminals.

Scarlett, author of the Iraq war dossier, is knighted

John Scarlett, who took responsibility for the error-ridden dossier that justified the war in Iraq, is knighted in today's New Year's Honours list. The award will enrage peace campaigners, who have accused the veteran spymaster of saving Tony Blair's skin over the flawed case for the invasion.
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Sir John, the head of MI6, played a key role in the Hutton Inquiry hearings into the death of the weapons expert David Kelly, three years ago. He steadfastly defended the dossier, which contained the notorious claim that Iraq could launch weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes. And he dismissed accusations he had bowed to pressure to "sex up" the document's conclusions.

As chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, he told the inquiry he had "overall charge and responsibility" for the dossier.

Sir John allowed last-minute changes that had the effect of strengthening its conclusions, leading Lord Hutton to suggest that he could have been "subconsciously influenced" by his political masters.

One crucial alteration was to cut the observation that Saddam Hussein was more likely to use chemical and biological weapons defensively than offensively - a change was made after Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair's chief of staff, said the passage could pose "a problem" that could be seized on by anti-war critics.

Nor am I the only one who thinks this action is despicable.

'Dodgy dossier' knighthood attacked

The award of a knighthood to John Scarlett was described as "utterly astonishing" by MPs yesterday.

Sir John, who oversaw the production of the so-called "dodgy dossier" which claimed that Saddam Hussein could launch a missile attack in 45 minutes, is made a Knight Commander of the Order of St George in the New Year honours.

But Angus MacNeil, SNP MP for Na h-Eileanan An Iar, said Tony Blair had shown "breathtaking arrogance" in approving the award.

"John Scarlett has been awarded an honour for services to diplomacy. Services to creative writing might have been more appropriate," he said.

and so on...

Is the entire British royalty now complicit in wanton mass-murder, as accomplices-after-the-fact?