Hutton verdict in quotes
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Hutton announcing his conclusions
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| HUTTON'S KEY FINDINGS |
Kelly took his own life No one should have known Kelly would take his life BBC report that government dossier was "sexed-up" was unfounded BBC's editorial system was defective in allowing report to air without approval Government did not behave dishonorably concerning Kelly's identity |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Lord Brian Hutton has published his report into the death of weapons expert David Kelly.
Hutton read a summary of his verdict Wednesday before television cameras and a packed courtroom in the Royal Courts of Justice in central London -- the same place where he held public hearings in August through September.
Here are a selection of his quotes:
• "I am satisfied that Dr. David Kelly took his own life by cutting his left wrist and that his death was hastened by his taking (painkiller) co-proxamol tablets."
• "I am further satisfied that there was no involvement by a third person in Dr. Kelly's death."
• "Whatever pressures and strains Dr. Kelly was subjected to by the decisions and actions taken in the weeks before his death, I am satisfied that no one realized or should have realized that those pressures and strains might drive him to take his own life."
• Hutton said there had been "a great deal of controversy and debate" about whether the government's dossier on Iraq's banned weapons was strong and reliable enough to warrant war.
• He said the row had "continued because of the failure at the time of writing this report to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq." But he said a "question of such wide import which would involve the consideration of a wide range of evidence, is not one which falls within my terms of reference."
• Hutton dismissed Andrew Gilligan's claims in his BBC report of May 2003 that the government had inserted intelligence into its dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction probably knowing it to be wrong or questionable, and had ordered the dossier to be "sexed up."
• "I consider these allegations to be unfounded as it would be understood by those who had heard the broadcast it to mean that the intelligence set out in the dossier was unfounded."
• "I am satisfied that Dr. Kelly did not say to Mr. Gilligan that the government knew or suspected that the 45-minute claim was wrong before it was inserted."
• "Mr. Gilligan accepted he made errors in his broadcast."
• Hutton said officials had not deliberately set out to reveal Kelly's name: "I came to the conclusion that the reality was that there was no such underhand strategy. I do not consider there was any plan or strategy for the prime minister and the officials at 10 Downing Street to bring this about."
• Hutton said the government's belief Kelly's name would come out anyway was "well founded." "It was unrealistic to think the name could have been kept secret indefinitely by the Ministry of Defence."
• He said the BBC's editorial system that let Gilligan broadcast his report was "defective."
• Ministry of Defence was "at fault" for not telling Kelly it would confirm his name to journalists and Kelly would have felt "badly let down." But he added the scientist was "not an easy man to help."
• Hutton criticized the leak of his report to Wednesday's Sun newspaper. "I am now giving urgent consideration to what investigative and legal action I should take in respect of the newspaper and its source."
