Jack Straw vetoes Iraq minutes release
Straw vetoes Iraq minutes release
Justice Secretary Jack Straw has vetoed the publication of minutes of key Cabinet meetings held in the run-up to the Iraq war in 2003.
He said he would use a clause in the Freedom of Information Act to block the release of details of meetings in which the war's legality was discussed.
Releasing the papers would do "serious damage" to Cabinet government, he said, and outweighed public interest needs...
Read more @ BBC News
Too right it would - it would show the cabinet government of being morally and ethically bankrupt.
Re: Jack Straw vetoes Iraq minutes release
Re: Jack Straw vetoes Iraq minutes release
Nope - the law was designed in such a way to give the government final say.
I can see the issues with revealing such stuff to public - in the future even les things would be discussed openly in the gov as everyone will be afraid that their private views will be made public.
It's just like that internal BBC review questioning whether they were anti-Israel. They did it so that if they were, they could fix the problems, and if they were not, they would know.
But now people are asking to read that internal review and as with all such publications, it has a good chance of becoming a witch hunt.
On the other hand, there needs to be a witch hunt on the Labour Government. Problem is that Blair will once again get away scot free.
Re: Jack Straw vetoes Iraq minutes release
But actions of the executive can be challenged and struck off with the Human Rights Act 1998, but laws made by Parliament can just be pointed out and criticised.
Re: Jack Straw vetoes Iraq minutes release
That the gov is refusing to release the munites leaves no doubt that the decision to go to war was made on flimsy legal grounds.
The "serious damage" would be in the form of war crimes tribunals.
What can anyone actually do about it, can Parliament or someone reverse it or can a court review it.