Lord Brian Hutton on Wednesday said he was satisfied to announce that Dr. David Kelly, Britain's top Iraq weapons specialist, committed suicide and that "no third person" was involved.
Disclosing the findings of his inquiry, Lord Hutton said the weapons expert "took his own life by cutting his left wrist" and taking pills. "I am further satisfied that there was no invovlvement by a third person in Dr. Kelly's death," he stated.
Hutton was asked to launch his investigation following the death of Kelly, who was the source behind a contentious BBC report that the UK government had "sexed up" the case for war in Iraq.
Lord Hutton began summarizing his findings as the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, told the Parliament that "as far as I'm aware" the Government had not leaked the report to The Sun newspaper. Blair was "very angry" at the leaking of the report, said one of his official spokesman.
In its Wednesday report, The Sun said Blair had escaped major criticism over the events leading to the apparent suicide of Kelly but heaped blame on the BBC. Britain's Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon have also been cleared of wrongdoing.
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
