Possibly a smoking gun: Tony Blair's involvement in sexing up the dossier?

[tinnypriv]

Check this document out (referenced on Drudge, WaPost story):

http://www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk/content/evidence/CAB_11_0069.pdf

It's an email from Jonathan Powell (Blair's Chief of Staff), to John Scarlett (head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, who drew up the dossier), sent a week before publication:



What's with the censorship?

As far as I can see, the blacked out section says: "The dossier says nothing about these and TB (TONY BLAIR) will..........(UNKNOWN)"

This is right after Powell says "we will be asked about connections to al-Qaeda"?

Is this :tinfoilhat:? Or :nuke:?

[TioDiego]

1. Yikes!

A Scarlett letter.

[Qutzupalotl]

2. Smoking gun

"We need to make it clear in launching the document that we do not claim that we have evidence that he is an imminent threat."

Who came out with the "45 minute" launch window again?


Furthermore, Powell warns that Saddam could show journalists he has nothing in the factories, and asks how to prevent that from happening. So he's not interested in getting the truth out.

[HFishbine]

3. Don't you find it odd

that the redacted portion leaves just enough visible for you to "figure out" what it says? Smells a little fishy, but I could be wrong.

[Qutzupalotl]

4. I've been working on that...

typing over it in Photoshop in Arial 10...

But there are too many sections with no ascenders or descenders to make much out. So far, I have:
"The document says nothing about these and TB will need a l--"

Second line, I think I see "passed", "positioning" and "the different position the US t--". The last word on the second line I first thought was "compliance", but the descender is not long enough. Could be "reliance."

Last line is a baffler. I think I see "between", but could be wrong. Last word appears to be "evidence."

Were you able to get anything?