Directory of Kelly, David Resources

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David Christopher Kelly, microbiologist, born May 17 1944, Rhondda Valley, Wales, died July 18 2003, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. Dr Kelly was the Ministry of Defence's chief scientific officer, and senior adviser on biological weapons to the UN (1994-1999). He was previously head of the microbiology section at the Government's chemical and biological defence establishment, Porton Down. He was one of the UN weapons inspectors in Iraq during the 1990s. After unofficially giving a briefing to a BBC journalist, which resulted in a BBC report claiming the government had 'sexed up' the case for war with Iraq, he was brought before a Commons select committee to explain himself. This caused the normally shy and gentle man not used to public exposure, so much stress that he took a walk to the woods near his home, and killed himself by slashing his wrists.

Resources in This Category

• BBC News: 'BBC says Kelly was weapons source'

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3081027.stm
  The BBC discloses that Dr David Kelly was the principal source for its controversial report that an Iraq weapons dossier was "sexed up".

• BBC News: Body 'matches' Iraq expert

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076801.stm
  Police say a body found in the search for a missing Iraq arms expert matches Dr David Kelly, as the government announces a judicial inquiry.

• BBC News: Gentle man with core of steel

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3079775.stm
  Dr David Kelly is remembered by friends as a gentle, quiet man with a steely determination to get at the truth.

• BBC NEWS: Government adviser David Kelly: Your thoughts

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3077395.stm
  Tony Blair has described the apparent suicide of weapons expert Dr David Kelly as an "absolutely terrible tragedy". Was the scientist under too much pressure? Comments from website viewers.

• BBC News: MoD expert was 'unused to spotlight'

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076869.stm
  Weapons expert Dr David Kelly was a civil servant who had been thrown into the media spotlight over the Iraq dossier row. Profile of Dr Kelly.

• BBC News: No heroes or villains in Kelly tragedy

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3082173.stm
  Peter Preston, former editor of The Guardian newspaper says the David Kelly tragedy has its roots in the muddle of humanity.

• Guardian Unlimited: David Kelly

  http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davidkelly
  Special report including news, analysis and commentary, press review and archive.

• Guardian Unlimited: David Kelly obituary

  http://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jul/19/guardianobituaries.iraq
  Obituary by Nigel Fountain and Sarah A Smith, on the biological weapons expert with a reputation for thoroughness.

• Guardian Unlimited: Kelly didn't stand a chance against the frenzy of No 10

  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jul/19/iraq.media
  Blair has decided his own reputation must be defended, whatever the cost. Comment from Hugo Young.

• Guardian Unlimited: The vendetta's victim

  http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/jul/19/uk.davidkelly
  Front page feature on the apparent suicide of Dr David Kelly, the backroom Whitehall scientist caught in the lethal crossfire over weapons of mass destruction between Downing Street and the BBC.

• MediaGuardian: Mangold - Kelly was 'caught in a nutcracker between BBC and no 10'

  http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/21/broadcasting.pressandpublishing
  Tom Mangold, the former BBC correspondent and close friend of David Kelly, has accused Andrew Gilligan of "taking the apple Kelly gave him and mixing it with an orange from another source", and revealed that his final report "appalled" the respected weapons expert.

• Oral evidence of Dr. Kelly

  http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmfaff/uc1025-i/uc102502.htm
  Transcript of the examination of Dr. Kelly before the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, 15 July 2003.

• Telegraph: Kelly felt 'betrayed' by the MoD after name was leaked

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1436657/Kelly-felt-'betrayed'-by-the-MoD-after-name-was-leaked.html
  The Ministry of Defence was under increasing pressure yesterday over its role in naming Dr Kelly as the Whitehall "mole" after it emerged that the weapons expert had felt "betrayed" by the MoD when his identity was made public.

• Telegraph: Kelly's last cry for help: I'm haunted by 'many dark actors playing games'

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1436601/Kellys-last-cry-for-help-Im-haunted-by-many-dark-actors-playing-games.html
  Tony Blair was under unprecedented pressure last night as the suicide of Dr David Kelly, the weapons expert, plunged his Government into its gravest crisis. (Requires free registration)

• The Observer: And how do you find the accused?

  http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/jul/20/pressandpublishing.iraq
  How the editors sat in judgement on the 'hounds who mauled Kelly'. Comment, from Peter Preston.

• ThisisLondon: Scientist Thrust Into Media Spotlight

  http://www.standard.co.uk/news/scientist-thrust-into-media-spotlight-6944390.html
  Until recently, David Kelly was an anonymous scientist working behind the scenes at the Ministry of Defence. Suddenly he found himself thrust unwillingly into the media spotlight at the centre of the bitter row between the BBC and Downing Street.

• World Press Review: Finger-Pointing and Stonewalling on Prewar Intelligence

  http://www.worldpress.org/Americas/1430.cfm
  Comment and analysis from around the world about Iraq's WMD and why the US and UK went to war.

• World Press Review: Suicide and Suspicions over War with Iraq

  http://www.worldpress.org/Europe/1405.cfm
  Review of the British press coverage of the ongoing row over the reasons Britain went to war, the quality of Western military intelligence, and news media bias, intensified by the suicide of British Ministry of Defence weapons expert David Kelly on July 18th.

Related Categories

• Home > Regional > Europe > United Kingdom > Government > Inquiries > Hutton Inquiry
• Home > Society > Issues > Warfare and Conflict > Specific Conflicts > Iraq

 

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