Iraq Inquiry: The First National Security "Blackout"

Author: Iraq Inquiry Blogger |Posted: 7:29 pm on 15/12/09
Category: Iraq Inquiry Blog | Tags: Iraq inquiry/ Iraq war/ Sir Jeremy Greenstock/ Sir John Chilcot

I’m not sure whether it’s a worse reflection on us the media or the nature of today’s evidence when I say that the most interesting moment was the inquiry being censored at midday.
Actually that’s probably a little unfair. Certainly Sir Jeremy spoke with his customary silver tongue but phrases like “catastrophic success” – wherein the Iraqi regime collapsed before the coalition was anything like ready for it to do so – were nonetheless chilling.
You sensed also some frustration as he met Blair for talks in September 2003, prior to taking up the UK special envoy role in Baghdad.
Despite the already-deteriorating security environment, the PM made it clear that he didn’t want any further troops committed; instead he pushed for the Iraqi police – an unhappy group of whom scarcely one witness has had a good word to say – to be trained up in a fraction of the time Sir Jeremy thought that would require.
But the national security blackout – triggered when the inquiry heard something that would endanger national security if reported (we were told) – was undeniably an attention-grabber.
We’ve had a few blank screens before but only due to technical glitches. This was clearly of an altogether different order.
One inquiry official tried to seal us into the press room, which even the slower among us (ok, me) thought could possibly mean something was afoot.
Another told us that she couldn’t tell us anything, but that she’d tell us later if she could, but asking us not to report that. An eminence grise purred in from the Cabinet Office to assess the damage.
The irony of all of this being that any one of us hacks could’ve heard the offending word(s) had we been in the main committee chamber, not watching proceedings from the press room.
Problem is that we’re not allowed to take mobile phones or laptops in there, and tweeting the proceedings rather requires one or the other.
Enterprising hacks tried asking members of the public who’d been watching inside the chamber, but got a whole range of different suggestions back as to what prompted the blackout.
No sign as I write of the written transcript on the inquiry website but we were promised that a redacted version would be forthcoming: iraqinquiry.org.uk/transcripts
Back tomorrow for hopefully-uninterrupted sessions titled The Views from Baghdad, London & Whitehall. Witnesses from MoD, the FCO and 10 Downing Street – full list here: iraqinquiry.org.uk/hearings/timetable Good night x