Cabinet’s Iraq war files will stay secret for three decades after publication is blocked by Attorney General

August 1st, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
Jack Doyle

PUBLISHED:

18:55 EST, 31 July 2012

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UPDATED:

18:55 EST, 31 July 2012

Secret Cabinet papers on the decision to invade Iraq could be kept from the public for three decades.

The crucial minutes of ministerial meetings in 2003 were approved for release under Freedom of Information laws but blocked at the last minute by the Attorney General.

Dominic Grieve’s ruling yesterday is a repeat of the decision made by Jack Straw in 2009 over the same papers.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve, pictured left, ruled that the Iraq war files will stay hidden from the public, to protect the privacy of Cabinet discussions. It comes after Jack Straw made a similar decision in 2009.

Sir Menzies Campbell said he was disappointed by the outcome.

‘The original decision to go to war against Iraq is still shrouded in controversy with many people arguing that it was the single most significant foreign policy decision since Suez in 1956,’ said the former Liberal Democrat leader.

‘In the interests of transparency I
believe that these minutes should be revealed to the public, not least
because there are very substantial questions about the extent to which
the Cabinet was informed about the proposal to go to war with the US
against Saddam Hussein or even had the opportunity to debate them.’

Christopher Graham, the Information
Commissioner who protects the public’s data and privacy rights,
criticised the use of the veto.

Britain went to war with Iraq under Tony Blair’s government in 2003

His spokesman said: ‘He is disappointed that the ministerial veto has been used to override his recent decision notice concerning the minutes of two Cabinet meetings held immediately prior to the commencement of military action in Iraq in 2003.

‘His view is that the significant public interest in this matter justified an exception to the general rule that such information should not be disclosed before the usual due date for the release of Cabinet material.’

Cabinet minutes are not normally released until 30 years has passed, although this period is being cut gradually.

Mr Grieve said holding back the papers were necessary to protect the privacy of Cabinet discussions.

He said releasing the minutes could undermine the frankness of such decisions made in future.

‘Serious and controversial decisions must be taken with free, frank – even blunt – deliberation between colleagues,’ he said.

‘Ministers must have the confidence to challenge each other in private.

They
must ensure that decisions have been properly thought through, sounding
out all possibilities before committing themselves to a course of
action.

Former Liberal Democrats party leader Menzies Campbell criticised the decision

The discussions that led to the Iraq war will not be released for three decades. Pictured are British soldiers in Basra during the war

They must not feel inhibited from advancing opinions that may be unpopular or controversial.

‘If there cannot be frank discussion of the most important matters of Government policy at Cabinet, it may not occur at all.’

His office said he made the decision after consulting ‘relevant former ministers’ as well as coalition colleagues and opposition leader Ed Miliband.

The papers have been seen by the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war, but it will not be permitted to release them.

It is the third use this year of ministers’ veto of Freedom of Information laws.

In February, the Government upheld another veto by Mr Straw of Cabinet discussions on devolution.

In May, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley barred the release of a ‘risk register’ setting out Whitehall fears over potential dangers with NHS reforms.