U.K. Intelligence Official Allegedly Sought to Include Unsubstantiated Iraq WMD Claims in Recent Report

A member of the Iraq Survey Group, which is searching for evidence of Iraq’s alleged prewar WMD efforts, claimed that the new chief of the British MI6 intelligence agency attempted to include unsubstantiated claims in a recent ISG report, the London Independent reported today (see GSN, July 21).

According to the ISG member, John Scarlett sent a confidential e-mail to the unit in early March with 10 “golden nuggets” for possible inclusion into the group’s report.  The list included claims that prewar Iraq had a secret smallpox program and that it had developed mobile chemical weapons laboratories, the ISG official told the London Mail. The group rejected Scarlett’s suggestions.

“Let’s face it, he wanted us to include lies,” the ISG member said (Andrew Woodcock, London Independent, Aug. 2).

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