The BBC journalist at the centre of a row between the British government and the BBC over the Iraq war has admitted he made mistakes in reporting claims the government had "sexed up" its dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
Andrew Gilligan is giving more evidence at the official inquiry into the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly, identified as the source of his story. Mr Gilligan has acknowledged in an initial report to have accused the government of dishonesty, rather than simply of exaggeration. A government dossier used by Prime Minister Tony Blair in Parliament to justify going to war, said Iraqi president Saddam Hussein could launch weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes. But Mr Gilligan says the reports were in the contest of a lively political debate in an arena in which such allegations were stock in trade. |