Missing Iraq 'mole': Body found Dr. David Kelly, 59, has been named by the British government as a possible source for a BBC report that Downing Street "sexed up" a dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Kelly, a former U.N. weapons inspector, went missing from his home on Thursday afternoon after telling his wife he was going for a walk, police say. His family, who live in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, about 80 km (50 miles) north of London, alerted police when he failed to return by 11:45 p.m. The body was discovered at Harrowdown Hill, Oxfordshire, about five miles from Kelly's home. "Although the body found has not been formally identified it matches the description given of Dr. David Kelly," a police spokeswoman said. The cause of death would not be revealed until a post-mortem has been carried out on the body. Prime Minister Tony Blair was informed of the discovery of the body as he flew from Washington to Tokyo, Downing Street said. The government has said it believes Kelly, a microbiologist, may have been the source for BBC defense correspondent Andrew Gilligan's report that sparked a furious row between the government and the state-funded broadcaster. Gilligan's report on the BBC Radio 4 Today program cited a single, unnamed source as saying officials hyped intelligence to justify the war. The report said the government gave undue prominence in a September 2002 dossier to claims that Iraq could launch chemical and biological weapons with 45 minutes' notice. Kelly gave evidence Tuesday to a parliamentary committee regarding the government's dossier and the BBC report. During the committee meeting, it was suggested Kelly was being made a "fall guy" for the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Kelly admitted speaking to Gilligan before the BBC report but said he did not believe he was the source for the correspondent's report. The MoD said it had at no point threatened Kelly with suspension or dismissal as a result of his admission that he had spoken to Gilligan. He was told he broken civil service rules by having unauthorized contact with a journalist, but "that was the end of it," the MoD said. Kelly was given five days to think about his options before the MoD issued its statement on Tuesday July 8 to say that an unnamed official had spoken to Gilligan. Committee Chairman Donald Anderson wrote to Foreign Secretary Jack Straw saying committee members believed it was "most unlikely" Kelly was the source. Thames Valley Police said it was concerned for Kelly's well being because he was ill prepared for his walk. "We are concerned for Dr. Kelly's welfare ... Due to the bad weather and the fact it is unlikely he was wearing a coat he would have been distinctive and people who may have seen him in the area are urged to contact police as soon as possible," Acting Police Superintendent David Purnell said. "He is an avid walker and has good local knowledge of the many footpaths surrounding his home." "It is not unusual for him to walk for two or three hours at a time, but unusual for him to do this alone," the police statement said. "His disappearance and failure to make contact with anyone is described by his family as 'out of character.'" http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/07/18/uk.kelly/index.html
Key dates in controversy over British government dossier on Iraq weapons: --------------------------------------------------- Sept. 24: Government publishes dossier claiming Iraq could deploy some chemical and biological weapons within 45 minutes notice, and that it had sought uranium in Africa. May 29: British Broadcasting Corp. defense correspondent Andrew Gilligan reports a senior British official claims the September dossier was "sexed up" to make a more convincing case for military action. June 1: Gilligan, writing in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, says Prime Minister Tony Blair's director of communications, Alastair Campbell, was responsible for adding the 45-minute claim. June 19: Gilligan testifies before House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. June 25: Campbell appears before committee, denies adding material to dossier and demands apology from BBC. July 7: Committee, on a party-line vote, says Campbell did not add material to dossier. July 8: Anonymous Ministry of Defense official acknowledges meeting Gilligan to discuss dossier, but denies mentioning Campbell. July 9: Official identified as David Kelly, a weapons adviser. July 15: Kelly tells Foreign Affairs Committee he believes he was not the source of Gilligan's report, but confirms that they met. July 17: Gilligan recalled to private session of Foreign Affairs Committee. Chairman Donald Anderson said Gilligan was an "unsatisfactory witness" who changed his story; Gilligan rejects charge. Late that night, Kelly was reported missing. July 18: Body, tentatively identified as Kelly, found in woods near his home.
Sad. I vote suicide at this point. He knows he knows too much. I doubt he was knocked off, though he may have been encouraged to fall on his sword. Poor guy. Seriously, he seems to have taken great pride in doing good, exact work.
