MoD Guilty of Spin (Again)
The response to the collapsed Court Martial of 7 parachute Regiment soldiers accused of killing an Iraqi civilian provides more evidence of Senior Officers in the MoD embracing the Government's culture of Spin and of kow-towing to Government instead of doing what is right.
This is the same culture that existed over Iraq, where Senior Officers were all too aware in the run up to the War that there was no WMD threat, but agreed to let the Government line prevail.
It seems to me that political correctness and the baying for blood of the left-wing of the Labour Party were the reasons this Court Martial took place. The MoD claims that it was right that they investigated and brought the case to trial. They are half-correct; it is right that the case was investigated properly. If it had been it is quite apparent that it would not have led to a Court Martial.
It was wrong for the MoD to make the statements it did yesterday, defending the indefensible – and that is where the spin is. What should have happened is an immediate response to agree that there were legitimate concerns raised and an immediate inquiry launched. That inquiry should cover the investigation itself as well as the political pressure that was placed on the MoD relating to the case.
The MoD has a role to do the bidding of Government, but only up to a point. They are not there to be complicit in deceit, nor are they there to employ the tactics of spin which are so readily adopted by New Labour.
It is about time some of the Senior Officers in the MoD put principle above career and stood up and said what needs to be said about the way they have been mistreated by successive New Labour Ministers.
This is the same culture that existed over Iraq, where Senior Officers were all too aware in the run up to the War that there was no WMD threat, but agreed to let the Government line prevail.
It seems to me that political correctness and the baying for blood of the left-wing of the Labour Party were the reasons this Court Martial took place. The MoD claims that it was right that they investigated and brought the case to trial. They are half-correct; it is right that the case was investigated properly. If it had been it is quite apparent that it would not have led to a Court Martial.
It was wrong for the MoD to make the statements it did yesterday, defending the indefensible – and that is where the spin is. What should have happened is an immediate response to agree that there were legitimate concerns raised and an immediate inquiry launched. That inquiry should cover the investigation itself as well as the political pressure that was placed on the MoD relating to the case.
The MoD has a role to do the bidding of Government, but only up to a point. They are not there to be complicit in deceit, nor are they there to employ the tactics of spin which are so readily adopted by New Labour.
It is about time some of the Senior Officers in the MoD put principle above career and stood up and said what needs to be said about the way they have been mistreated by successive New Labour Ministers.
posted by Martin Curtis at 10:57 AM
4 Comments:
This is the same culture that existed over Iraq, where Senior Officers were all too aware in the run up to the War that there was no WMD threat, but agreed to let the Government line prevail.
Any evidence for this claim? Sounds like a piece of spin to me.
Yes, I resigned as an MoD Civil Servant in April 2004, largely because I was made aware by a number of Officers who had served in Qatar during the Gulf War that as soon as they arrived in theatre they were told there was no threat to WMD.
In fact that difference between the two strands of intelligence was highlighted by the Butler report.
So, that's a no, then. Just an assertion.
The legal definition of evidence:
"The documentary or oral statements and the material objects admissible as testimony in a court of law"
So that's a yes then
Post a Comment
<< Home