11th-hour bid to halt Iraq war revelations ('risks damaging morale')

[Barrett808]

11th-hour bid to halt Iraq war revelations
Foreign Office says envoy's book 'risks damaging morale'

Jamie Doward, home affairs editor
The Observer

The foreign office has made a last-ditch attempt to stop one of its former senior diplomats from publishing a book claiming that the government knew that Iraq did not represent a significant threat to the West in the run-up to the Iraq war.

Last night Carne Ross, who was a member of the British mission to the United Nations, declined to comment on a letter asking him to 'reconsider' his decision to publish his book, Independent Diplomat, other than to describe it as 'unpleasant'.

A spokesman said: 'The Foreign and Commonwealth Office disagrees fundamentally with much of the book and is disappointed that Mr Ross has chosen to misrepresent the FCO. In doing so, he risks damaging the credibility and morale of the FCO and the relationship of confidence and trust within government.'

Ross, who signed the Official Secrets Act, has already been forced to censor the book on the grounds of national security.

The row mirrors Foreign Office concerns over attempts by Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the British ambassador to the UN, to write his account of the war in Iraq. Greenstock, Ross's boss, subsequently dropped plans to publish his own book.

(more)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2000433,00.html

[Doctor_J]

1. Set the furnaces to Farenheit 451

or something.

[Benhurst]

2. Yeah, "national security." "War criminal Blair's security" is more like it. NT

:argh: