Total number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan = 325
Hard to believe but one cynic has suggested that I made up the Creole 'rats in the rafters' proverb quoted on yesterday's blog. For greater accuracy here is the description of Daily Telegraph journalists in its original language.
Sa wat ka dit en fetai kai
Say pa sa y ca di a ter
Sloppy Chilcot
The Iraq inquiry is not living up to its billing. The star witness before the Public Administration Committee was Carne Ross. He has now given evidence to Chlcot Inquiry. He says that they are n "too easygoing" in grilling witnesses about the lead-up to the war.
Carne Ross told the BBC that chairman Sir John Chilcot was running a "narrow" investigation, with the standard of questioning "pretty low".A former diplomat he alleges that the Foreign Office withheld key documents before he gave evidence to the inquiry recently.
Carne, the UK's Iraq expert at the United Nations from 1997 to 2002, says the Foreign Office withheld documents relating to the build-up to the 2003 invasion which he requested ahead of appearing before the inquiry earlier this month.
These allegedly include one about a visit to Syria by former Prime Minister Tony Blair and another on the failure to deal with a pipeline he said enabled Iraq to illegally export oil through Syria.
Mr Ross also says he was urged by a Foreign Office worker not to refer to a memo to the special adviser to the then Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, expressing concern that a briefing paper for Labour MPs and peers had altered the assessment of Iraq's nuclear threat.
Carne Ross said he found the situation "very troubling", adding: "Chilcot says he's got full access to documents. My concern is how can they find their way around this vast number of documents without people helping them? I tried to get access to the documents. I was not given full access."
Crane has sacrificed his very promising career and set himself up in a not for profit private agency. He is best positioned to reveal the truth on this terrible mistake. In addition to the uncounted death of Iraqis, 179 British soldiers died. Their loved ones deserve a thorough investigation not a cover-up.
Comments