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Last update - 14:56 21/02/2008
Report: U.K. gov't hid reference to Israel on Iraq weapons dossier
By Haaretz Service
Tags: israel, iraq 

The British newspaper The Guardian reported Thursday that the Foreign Office in London had successfully managed to conceal a reference to Israel in a September 2002 document on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, fearing harm to bilateral ties.

The Guardian says that the word "Israel" was handwritten next to a statement in the "now discredited" dossier which said that "no other country [apart from Iraq] has flouted the United Nations' authority so brazenly in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction."

According to The Guardian, "a senior Foreign Office official" says that the move was aimed at preventing any damage to relations between Israel and the United Kingdom.
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The Guardian report also says the Foreign Office made no effort to conceal handwritten notes listing other countries such as the U.S., Japan and Germany in sections dealing with Iraqi belligerence.

According to The Guardian, the decision to remove Israel from the dossier was made by a body called The Information Tribunal, which "adjudicates on disputes involving the Freedom of Information Act." The tribunal heard the case after the Foreign Office reportedly appealed the decision to release the dossier in its entirety.

The newspaper quotes a statement to the tribunal by Neil Wigan, head of the Foreign Office's Arab, Israel and North Africa Group, in which he reportedly said "he did not know who had referred to Israel in the margin."

The Guardian quotes Wigan as saying that, "I interpret this note to indicate that the person who wrote it believes that Israel has flouted the United Nations' authority in a manner similar to that of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein."

According to The Guardian, Wigan said that the revelation that Israel is mentioned in the dossier "would seriously damage the U.K.'s relations with Israel."

The Guardian also quotes Wigan as saying that comparing Israel to Saddam Hussein and the "implied accusation of a breach of the UN's authority by Israel are potentially very serious."

He also reportedly said that, "Unfortunately, there is perception already in Israel that parts of the FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] are prejudiced against the country."

A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown would not comment on the document itself but said: "Our position in terms of encouraging all signatories of the [nuclear] non-proliferation treaty to abide by that remains the same."

"But we also recognize Israel's position needs to be looked at in a regional context, bearing in mind they have neighbors such as Iran who deny the right of Israel to exist."

Succumbing to three years of pressure from freedom of information campaigners, the British government released the once-secret draft document on Monday.

The 32-page document, written by a former director of communications at the Foreign Office, cites intelligence sources to state that Iraq had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and could easily use them since it had done so before.

The document, amended in the margins, makes no mention of Saddam Hussein being capable of launching weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes, a false claim later used in another government dossier to make the case for going to war.

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      1.   More British cowardice in the face of bully Israel 03:52  |  peacelover 21/02/08
      2.   I don`t know why Israel is allowed to act in such a criminal way? 04:06  |  POP 21/02/08
      3.   I dont know why POPs mom allows him to act in this way 04:20  |  Uday Hussein 21/02/08
      4.   #3 Uday Hussein. So what did you do? 04:40  |  Maureen Ann 21/02/08
      5.   UK gov`t hid reference 04:45  |  Sechel 21/02/08
      6.   Peacelover-liar, hypocrite 04:45  |  Stephen in New York 21/02/08
      7.   To#3 04:48  |  pal 21/02/08
      8.   What? 04:48  |  danite 21/02/08
      9.   Am I suppose t believe that the UK values relations with Israel? 05:10  |  Ignacio 21/02/08
      10.   Nonsense. No UN declaration ever on Israeli nukes. Reason: 05:18  |  Rob 21/02/08
      11.   what criminal way? u mean - to exist? 05:21  |  max 21/02/08
      12.   PEACELOVER&pop.Israel didn`t sign the non proliferation treaty 05:22  |  PETER SM 21/02/08
      13.   PEACELOVER.Do not fret! with enough Sharia in Britain Amputation& 06:00  |  PETER SM 21/02/08
      14.   "Handwritten"in a"discredited dossier"what could be more reliable 06:04  |  PETER SM 21/02/08
      15.   Britain has WMDs 06:31  |  Gili 21/02/08
      16.   Jason Bourne 06:38  |  Fish 21/02/08
      17.   The West has build up its worst enemy 07:27  |  Jean Van Daem 21/02/08
      18.   Durson_Jews Make Their Own Special Rules For Jews 08:36  |  Eli 21/02/08
      19.   TO ROB #10 08:41  |  Steve Beikirch 21/02/08
      20.   Israel Is Threatened With Destruction - Who Threatens the Uk ? 08:58  |  Tod Zuckerman 21/02/08
      21.   Natallie wants WW3 08:59  |  the truth 21/02/08
      22.   WHAT`S UP TONY BLIAR 09:14  |  indrajaya 21/02/08
      23.   Someone doodled `Israel`; no base for official policy statement 09:16  |  Scribble scrabble 21/02/08
      24.   # 19 - Natalie 09:16  |  Michael 21/02/08
      25.   Maureen Ann 09:30  |  Ruth 21/02/08
      26.   For Gili in Montreal, on Britain`s WMDs #15 09:35  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      27.   So what, Peter SM? # 12 09:45  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      28.   peter sm 10:20  |  staydead23 21/02/08
      29.   Indrajaya enjoying the Guardian! LOL! 10:23  |  The Judge 21/02/08
      30.   Durson on rules 10:26  |  The Judge 21/02/08
      31.   Israel does not have nukes 10:36  |  BraverMan 21/02/08
      32.   #24 Michael 10:46  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/02/08
      33.   Special rule for Jews #19 11:02  |  Senator 21/02/08
      34.   #33No Israeli nukes 11:10  |  English Resident 21/02/08
      35.   Clickfool -- blind to things that matter 11:17  |  bbl 21/02/08
      36.   Surely this is good for Israel? 11:18  |  Matthew Kretzmer 21/02/08
      37.   clickfool and israel`s nuclear arsenal 11:23  |  brighton rock 21/02/08
      38.   Special rules for Jews says Durson 11:24  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 21/02/08
      39.   So what Clickfool # whatever 11:31  |  Jasmine Murphy 21/02/08
      40.   durson the douch bag 11:35  |  danny 21/02/08
      41.   uk.govt natalies response 11:36  |  jacqueline yaffe 21/02/08
      42.   Chris Linthwaite 11:37  |  Iz Ray Leigh 21/02/08
      43.   murine anne 11:39  |  danny 21/02/08
      44.   FO din`t hide, but rather leaked... 12:01  |  Ehud 21/02/08
      45.   Two types of resolutions 12:06  |  Joseph 21/02/08
      46.   Whose side was Israel on? 12:12  |  Sherlock Holmes 21/02/08
      47.   CFOOL.Harrumphing for "everyone".That`s NPT rules. 12:40  |  PETER SM 21/02/08
      48.   CFOOL Harrumphing for"everyone".Those are the NPT rules!! 12:53  |  PETER SM 21/02/08
      49.   The bottom line .....no 12 13:31  |  Palestinian Brit 21/02/08
      50.   STAYDEAD.You mean "Aussie"like Abdul Benbrika or Hicks 13:31  |  PETER SM 21/02/08
      51.   #27 Are you on drugs? 14:02  |  Gili 21/02/08
      52.   Trivial news 14:15  |  Tosefta 21/02/08
      53.   #18 Natalie 14:23  |  Moshe 21/02/08
      54.   The Exceptionalism That Israel Demands 14:26  |  Yaakov Sullivan 21/02/08
      55.   #50 14:43  |  Moshe 21/02/08
      56.   During WW II the Jews in Palestine fought against the Nazis,,, 14:43  |  Moses 21/02/08
      57.   Clickfool`s WMD & Trident joke.... 15:02  |  The Judge 21/02/08
      58.   Margie in Tel Aviv to Durson 15:18  |  Yaakov Sullivan 21/02/08
      59.   The Guardian is known for tabloid trash, typical British bias 15:21  |  The Equalizer 21/02/08
      60.   Clickfool and America Sliding Toward Fascism 15:45  |  Eli 21/02/08
      61.   The Equalizer on the Guardian 15:56  |  Yaakov Sullivan 21/02/08
      62.   #3 If you only knew the things your mom allowed me to do 16:07  |  Bat Man 21/02/08
      63.   sully van 16:08  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 21/02/08
      64.   HAARETZ CENCOR - problem report 16:08  |  Rep Haar 21/02/08
      65.   #42 Iz Ray Liegh 16:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/02/08
      66.   Clickfool and Intelligence # 27 16:32  |  Eli 21/02/08
      67.   Clickfool and Intelligence # 27 16:32  |  Eli 21/02/08
      68.   Clickfool and Intelligence # 27 16:32  |  Eli 21/02/08
      69.   Equaliizer. US media is establishment tool. 16:41  |  examiner 21/02/08
      70.   Iran and Israel 16:52  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      71.   and fellow Jew Jack Straw was in Office 17:01  |  mark rich