BRITAIN: The Ministry of Defence was accused yesterday of playing Russian roulette with Dr David Kelly's identity as part of the government's battle with the BBC over the disputed Iraqi weapons dossier.
Mr Jeremy Gompertz QC made the allegation as the Hutton inquiry into the events surrounding the death of the government scientist and respected weapons expert entered a new adversarial stage, with lawyers for the Kelly family, the BBC and the government now able to cross-examine witnesses.
Mr Gompertz's tough cross-examination of Mr Martin Howard, the deputy director of defence intelligence at the MoD, heightened the sense that Lord Hutton's inquiry is moving remorselessly into the "blame game".
At the same time Lord Hutton heard harrowing evidence from a Home Office pathologist who examined the body of the man found dead in an Oxfordshire wood which triggered his inquiry in the first place.
Dr Kelly apparently killed himself after being named in several newspapers as the government's suspected source for BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan's claim that Downing Street and communications director Mr Alastair Campbell had "sexed up" the weapons dossier published last September against the wishes of the intelligence services.
Dr Kelly's identity emerged 24 hours after the MoD confirmed that an unnamed official had come forward and admitted having had unauthorised contact with the BBC reporter.
Mr Howard helped draft the question-and-answer briefing paper which led officials to confirm Dr Kelly's name to journalists who came up with it.
During tense exchanges yesterday Mr Gompertz put it to Mr Howard that this MoD strategy was "both cynical and irresponsible." Showing an instinct for a media sound-bite more commonly associated with government spin doctors, the QC said: "The procedure adopted, I suggest, amounted to a parlour game for journalists. Would you agree?"
Mr Howard did not, but his interrogator persisted: "A form, perhaps, of 20 questions, though 21 in the case of the \ Times?"
Mr Howard replied: "We are not responsible for how the media put their questions to the press office."
Mr Gompertz continued: "Or was it more like a game of Russian roulette?"
Mr Howard insisted: "No, it was not that either."
Mr Gompertz: "I suggest to you that the strategy that was adopted with regard to disclosing Dr Kelly's identity was both cynical and irresponsible. What do you say?"
Mr Howard said he would disagree with that completely. Asked if Dr Kelly was ever asked if he consented to having his identity revealed, Mr Howard replied: "I do not believe he was asked in those terms, but he was told that it was likely his name would come out."
Mr Gompertz said information released by both the MoD and the Prime Minister's official spokesman at No 10 meant that any able journalist with a little research would be able to identify Dr Kelly.
Mr Howard insisted the MoD's approach was not a ploy to ensure Dr Kelly was identified as the probable source of BBC reports.