tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956830097495837473.post5426465365968125040..comments2023-10-14T13:18:37.330+01:00Comments on angels in marble: Impressions on Watching the Iraq War Inquiryhatfield girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673905475452420002noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956830097495837473.post-36408119831610900362009-11-25T09:38:30.572+00:002009-11-25T09:38:30.572+00:00Close to the truth of which version of the many ve...Close to the truth of which version of the many versions of events is most accurate. Close to an understanding of how it was done - the invasion of Iraq was such a 'disconnected' undertaking from any UK stream of policy or Labour policy stance. This was a rogue policy in the sense of it being a willed, not necessary, ad hoc response to unexpected circumstances (we're well before 9/11); our governing system doesn't do rogue, it does continuity with well thought out changes to achieve alterations in policies from different political masters. Our civil service isn't just expected to act as operatives carrying out orders, we expect it to provide technical and specialist knowledge input to discontinuous political executives. Here the Executive - I wait to hear if it was only a small part of the Executive - displayed no interest in then current policy and its development or in taking advice on the effects of major policy change.<br /><br />These witnesses are describing what happened, I thought truthfully, and the questions evinced this important disconnect and alteration in governing behaviour. The differences in attitude to what their job is was very plain between the Foreign Office and Defence, too. Not unnaturally, because they organise action on the ground (and in the air in this case) Defence very clearly has a side and backs it to the hilt, unlike the FO advice givers who want to get every aspect of a policy ornamented with all its options and outcomes.<br /><br />Guilt won't be pinned on but information about actions pours off the witnesses and the chairman, some of it controlled, much inadvertent.The chairman is steering fiercely, keeps things moving along which is good, provides ample opportunity for the commissioners to intervene, which is good but I wished they would do so with more spontaneity and less by invitation from the chair, but John Chilcot does little summings up where there is drift from one sort of line (though this may be merely his understanding differing from mine) to the point where a commissioner intervenes and gives a different summary. Good inquiries from Roderick Lyne and Usha Prashar who evinced the 'disconnect' in policy formulation.<br /><br />The remit is enormous to the point of threatening a result made up of generalities, which is why it seems best to respond to the inquiries and the witnesses with something like the response to listening to music not a forensic, fact-checking, proving sort of listening. Musicians can tell us analytically why we are responding in particular ways, but we all respond intuitively to the vast flow of information. Streaming seems a very god word to describe experiencing the inquiry, but I'm not getting much work done; it's actually quite tiring.<br /><br />"It's not so much like a lecture," Mr HG remarked, "it's more like examining a good dissertation. Goes on for hours while you check specifics and form a view and all at a very high level".hatfield girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12673905475452420002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956830097495837473.post-59514022642338854062009-11-25T09:03:12.314+00:002009-11-25T09:03:12.314+00:00Interesting stuff, keep it coming if you can.
A s...Interesting stuff, keep it coming if you can.<br /><br />A snippet from yesterday's Telegraph - article starts by saying "witnesses at the enquiry will be granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for their frank testimony..."<br /><br />Further down the page we read "Future witnesses to the enquiry...include...Tony Blair."<br /><br />Well I never. Immunity from prosecution, who'd a thunk it?Weekend Yachtsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04262853091154005651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956830097495837473.post-60809543840614161232009-11-24T22:15:24.278+00:002009-11-24T22:15:24.278+00:00Do you think we'll get close to the truth this...Do you think we'll get close to the truth this time?<br /><br />Will the guilty be properly exposed?<br /><br />Is Chilcott something other trhan a safe pair of hands? <br /><br />Is his remit wide enough?Sackersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410040031410954403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956830097495837473.post-85671680830056609002009-11-24T20:12:13.545+00:002009-11-24T20:12:13.545+00:00thanks HGthanks HGNick Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13670594203660051701noreply@blogger.com