Protesters decry (British) Iraq war inquiry 'whitewash'

[Turborama]

Source: Guardian

The mother of a soldier killed in Iraq reacted angrily to the revelation that the inquiry into the war will take place behind closed doors, warning "all this agony could be for nothing".

Rose Gentle, who launched a lengthy campaign against the UK's presence in Iraq after her son Gordon was killed there in 2004, said she will continue to lobby the government to fight the decision for the process to be held in private.

Gentle's son was killed in Basra after a roadside bomb was detonated while he was on patrol.

Speaking after Gordon Brown's announcement about the inquiry in the House of Commons, she said: "We have fought and fought for this but it will be no use and it could all be for nothing behind closed doors."

Gentle said "there was no reason" national security would be compromised by the inquiry being held in public. "We respect the security concerns that may arise – we are not anti-war in general. My family and most of the families who lost loved ones just want a simple answer to a simple question: why did we go in to Iraq in the first place?"

Lindsey German of the Stop the War Coalition said the inquiry would produce "another bucket of whitewash" from the government.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/15/protesters-iraq-war-inquiry

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Outcry over Government's decision to hold Iraq war inquiry in secret

Source: The Times

Philip Webster, Political Editor

Gordon Brown ran into fresh trouble today as he announced that the long-awaited Iraq war inquiry would be held in secret.

Opposition parties and campaigners reacted angrily as he said that the inquiry, to be headed by the former mandarin Sir John Chilcot, would be along the lines of the Franks inquiry into the Falklands, which was held in private, and would not report until after the general election.

The inquiry will cover the period from July 2001 to July 2009. It will begin work next month and take at least a year, Mr Brown said. Its aim will be to identify "lessons learned" and not to "apportion blame".

Mr Brown's decision to announce the inquiry was seen as part of his effort to regain the initiative after his leadership troubles. But he appeared to have upset Labour MPs who have been demanding an inquiry in public.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6505179.ece

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Secrecy.

:think: