I've just watched a quite astonishing interview on the BBC's news analysis programme Newsnight, following on from the leaked document I covered earlier. In it, Sir John Kiszely, the director of the Defence Academy, a Ministry of Defence think-tank, tried to claim that what Newsnight had revealed was the "raw material" not a finished, polished view. Newsnight effectively rubbished that, but what was most interesting, was when Kiszely tried to fend off a question on whether the document was an accurate reflection of the current state of play in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the wonderful answer: “This is not an area of my expertise”. Sir John has served as the Senior British Military Representative in Iraq.
There's something odd about all this. Why, if Newsnight was so wrong, did it take the Defence Academy 12 days to rebut its allegations? And, if not in the two main areas of active British deployment, one of which he has served in, what is Sir John an expert in, then?
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
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3 comments:
You're right. Quite astonishing that he should admit Iraq and Afghanistan is "not an area of my expertise". I wouldn't want to be in his shoes -- he is obviously under great pressure. However, this country really does need people to stand up and tell the truth. It would make a refreshing change. Forget "God on our side" --we need the truth. Only losers shy away from it.
I think Sir John means that voicing his opinion on whether the Iraq and Afghanistan missions did what the report claims they did to his soldiers is not an area of his expertise. The general is one of the most senior officers in the MOD. What's happening right now with the Dannatt comments is exactly what General Kiszely was trying to avoid.
Took the Defence Academy that long because the chief in question was in the United States at the time the BBC published the leaked "report"
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