British Prime Minister Tony Blair faces the most difficult test of his political career Monday as a judicial inquiry investigating the death of arms expert David Kelly is expected to begin taking evidence.
Over the period of the next two months, a long series of witnesses will be called to give evidence that could potentially damage Blair's reputation.
Among those expected to be called before senior judge Brian Hutton, heading the inquiry, are a wide-range of government officials, ministers and eventually, Prime Minister Tony Blair himself.
Weapons expert Dr. Kelly apparently committed suicide after being named as the source of a BBC report claiming the British government had exaggerated a dossier on Iraq's weapons capability prior to the war against Baghdad.
A colleague of Dr. Kelly, Terence Taylor will be the first to give evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Taylor, from the Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington, worked with Kelly as a UN weapons inspector in Iraq.
Other witnesses due to give evidence to the inquiry this week include officials from the Defense Ministry, the Cabinet Office, Foreign Office and key figures within the BBC, including Andrew Gilligan, the defense
correspondent whose story is at the center of the affair.
Meanwhile, ahead of the inquiry, Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith called on Prime Minister Tony Blair to apologize for comments made by his spokesman about Dr. Kelly, the BBC said.
Last week Downing Street spokesman Tom Kelly admitted comparing Dr. Kelly to fictional fantasist Walter Mitty.
The spokesman apologized unreservedly for his comments, made off-the-record to journalists, however Smith said that was not enough.
Lord Hutton has ruled the inquiry will not be televised, following an appeal from broadcasters Sky and ITN.
Dr. Kelly's body was found in woods in mid-July. An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned soon after.(Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
