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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 21/02/08
      72.   Clickfool - support of Israel 17:05  |  Israel 21/02/08
      73.   19Steve Beikirch, Why was not INDIA scribbled there? 17:50  |  Rob 21/02/08
      74.   Chris Linthwaite 17:59  |  Iz Ray Leigh 21/02/08
      75.   No Yaacov, we already have a pusher of the golden shovel 18:18  |  Jacob Blues 21/02/08
      76.   Guardian - 18:19  |  Palestinian Brit 21/02/08
      77.   The cover-up exposed 18:34  |  DJStahl 21/02/08
      78.   Israel is a desperate country...desperate because 18:37  |  Libertarian 21/02/08
      79.   Always gets away with murder ? literally 18:48  |  Still We Rise 21/02/08
      80.   #70 CF 18:56  |  Moshe 21/02/08
      81.   Dear Censors, are you on strike? 19:11  |  kaled 21/02/08
      82.   I see the haters of Israel are inventing their filth again 19:21  |  Gee 21/02/08
      83.   26Clickfool,yours fears concerning George W & his ziocon 19:39  |  lakshmi 21/02/08
      84.   For bbl, on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty # 35 19:44  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      85.   For Jasmine Murphy # 39 19:48  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      86.   For Eli # 60 19:53  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      87.   For Israel # 72 19:55  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      88.   For Gee # 82 19:58  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      89.   #23 Only Israel`s margin entry was removed 20:14  |  US Observer 21/02/08
      90.   Can Anybody Tell Me What are we Accused of Now ? 20:18  |  Gil 21/02/08
      91.   Clickfool, nothing clandestine, just reticence 20:24  |  Jasmine Murphy 21/02/08
      92.   Click and the other fools here on Haaretz 20:37  |  George W. Bush 21/02/08
      93.   Peter SM 20:42  |  The Adjudicator 21/02/08
      94.   Is the Guardian Accusing Us of Misleading the UK and USA? 20:44  |  Gil 21/02/08
      95.   Is the Guardian Accusing Us of Misleading the UK and USA? 20:45  |  Gil 21/02/08
      96.   Unfortunately fot Israel`s Opponents At Al Gaurdian & These Fora 20:49  |  Tom 21/02/08
      97.   Yaackov Sullivan Demands Exceptionalism for Israel, Why So? 20:56  |  Tom 21/02/08
      98.   ISRAEL`S NUCLEAR LIES 21:06  |  DEVIN 21/02/08
      99.   re: Sherlock Holmes 21:08  |  Efox 21/02/08
      100.   re: Yaakov Sullivan 21:10  |  Efox 21/02/08
      101.   re: Libertarian 21:14  |  Efox 21/02/08
      102.   re: Clickfool 21:18  |  Efox 21/02/08
      103.   When Al Guardian is Governed by Sharia... 21:19  |  Efox 21/02/08
      104.   For Jasmine Murphy # 91 21:21  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      105.   For "George W.Bush" #92 21:24  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      106.   #28 staydead 23 re the Arab hater petersm 21:33  |  Labhras 21/02/08
      107.   #96 TOM 21:38  |  US Observer 21/02/08
      108.   # 6 Stephen inNew York..I second Your Response 21:44  |  KATHY 21/02/08
      109.   # 12 & #13 #14 Peter SM ..TO ALL YOUR POSTS BRAVO,WELL SAID. 21:47  |  KATHY 21/02/08
      110.   AND NOW FOR THE REAL NEWS 21:48  |  Euro-Jew 21/02/08
      111.   Just read the article 21:49  |  US Observer 21/02/08
      112.   # 15 Gilli Britain has WMDs ...Of course they do! 21:57  |  KATHY 21/02/08
      113.   something new and different 21:58  |  al 21/02/08
      114.   Saddam Hussein and Israel share another human rights distinction 22:22  |  Pssd Off American 21/02/08
      115.   british cowardice 22:38  |  english jew 21/02/08
      116.   112 Illiterate KATHY 22:40  |  James 21/02/08
      117.   Pssd Off American???. Yes and now the UK, the Irish and the USA 22:49  |  Gil 21/02/08
      118.   Pssd Off American???. Yes and now the UK, the Irish and the USA 22:50  |  Gil 21/02/08
      119.   JAMES re KATHY 23:08  |  Gil 21/02/08
      120.   JAMES re KATHY 23:09  |  Gil 21/02/08
      121.   Come on people. The one & only real `news` is 23:09  |  TonyL 21/02/08
      122.   Eli, in Berkeley 23:09  |  Maki 21/02/08
      123.   Excitable little Gil 23:19  |  James 21/02/08
      124.   PeterSM Eli Gil 23:23  |  James 21/02/08
      125.   Does being a Zionist suck your brain out ? # 112 23:28  |  Clickfool 21/02/08
      126.   Efox, so don`t! 23:31  |  Yaakov Sullivan 21/02/08
      127.   Pssd or p SS d? 23:32  |  Antinazi 21/02/08
      128.   # 70. Clickfool. What about Diego Garcia...?? 23:34  |  Stephen. 21/02/08
      129.   religion=bigotry and hate 23:35  |  billy jack 21/02/08
      130.   #117 Gill of the twitchy fingers and addled mind 23:39  |  Labhras 21/02/08
      131.   Much Ado About Nothing 23:47  |  Mark Lincoln 21/02/08
      132.   Gil of the twitchy fingers and illtruths re James 23:51  |  Labhras 21/02/08
      133.   re: Yaakov Sullivan 00:05  |  Efox 22/02/08
      134.   "EXCITABLE Little James" You just repeated the same post. 00:11  |  PETER SM 22/02/08
      135.   For Clickfool 00:31  |  leo 22/02/08
      136.   JAMES actually I am not that little at all! (11 Try) 00:38  |  Gil 22/02/08
      137.   JAMES good to hear Haaretz doesn`t censure you 00:45  |  Gil 22/02/08
      138.   ISRAEL DENIES IT HAS WMD`S, BS. 00:59  |  VIPER 22/02/08
      139.   # Gil...And The nasty James Who has called me Illiterate.! 01:42  |  KATHY 22/02/08
      140.   # 123 James the one who is really the little prig/excitable 01:51  |  KATHY 22/02/08
      141.   LABHRAS 01:54  |  Gil 22/02/08
      142.   LABHRAS 01:55  |  Gil 22/02/08
      143.   To British Jew (#115), from an old ex-pat 02:15  |  Morris Valentine 22/02/08
      144.   ARABS have WMD`s!! Where is the hysteria from the useful idiots 04:00  |  PETER SM 22/02/08
      145.   122# Maki fromFloianopolis.Your post is an embarrasment to yours 04:08  |  Akram Zekaria 22/02/08
      146.   131# What do you mean Mr Lincoln ? You always 04:15  |  Akram Zekaria 22/02/08
      147.   Once upon a time there was Red under the bed. 04:46  |  Akram Zekaria 22/02/08
      148.   Hala Bik Akram El Aziz _ Allah Yeteik el Koowah 05:02  |  Eli 22/02/08
      149.   VIPER actually Israel neither confirms nor denies Nuclear weapons 05:27  |  PETER SM 22/02/08
      150.   Maki and You Are An Embarrassment To The Dog Population 06:12  |  Eli 22/02/08
      151.   James in London re: Kathy 08:26  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 22/02/08
      152.   #133.So important to you? So what if I am Catholic?I am ,so what? 08:43  |  Yaakov Sullivan 22/02/08
      153.   The Guardian 10:01  |  Ralph 22/02/08
      154.   # 151 Margie in TYel-Aviv re:London James . Thank you Margie.. 15:10  |  KATHY 22/02/08
      155.   # 125 To Clickfool ..Who thinks ole Britain . 15:26  |  KATHY 22/02/08
      156.   i`ve never heard that about the wmd issue... 06:07  |  eric 23/02/08
      157.   re: eric 01:33  |  Efox 24/02/08
      158.   # 157 to efox 10:48  |  eric 24/02/08
      159.   re: eric 23:38  |  Efox 24/02/08
      160.   # 159 as usual, my friend efox... 13:29  |  eric 25/02/08
      161.   re: eric 19:00  |  Efox 25/02/08
      162.   alas, efox... 08:18  |  eric 26/02/08
      163.   re: eric 22:15  |  Efox 26/02/08
      164.   hey efox, read about the horde you so despise 11:21  |  eric 28/02/08
      165.   re: eric 07:38  |  Efox 29/02/08
      166.   re: eric 02:39  |  Efox 01/03/08
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