Dr Hans Blix will be in Cambridge tomorrow reflecting on the war in Iraq and WMD – and it could not be more timely following today’s relentless 
bloodbath.
He will be joined by Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Britain’s best known diplomat; Lord Wilson of Dinton, former Cabinet Secretary and Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge ; and anti-war campaigning former Labour Minister Tony Benn.
So lots of top guns will be attending a whole day’s discussion entitled Debating the Evidence: Freedom of Information and I am thrilled Geoff invited me along. It is going to be to be a riveting day of debate along these lines:
“Freedom of Information?’ raises urgent topical questions about disclosure. Presentations by figures closely involved in recent events, including politicians, public servants, diplomats, historians, and diplomatic and foreign correspondents will address questions that focus especially on the invasion of Iraq. What are the tensions between the right to know and government responsibility? Is the public entitled to full disclosure? Does the government have a right to withhold information? Historians confront similar difficulties in writing contemporary history, when problems of restricted access can arise. How have attempts to tell the truth been limited or enabled as historians draw on archival resources? Events leading up to the Iraq war, and its legacy, raise related questions. How does the evidence for the existence of WMD play into larger questions of evidence and its interpretation? Does arms inspection offer a case-study in the uses and abuses of evidence? How does expert evidence play into political decisions, and how much do we know – or not know – about the circumstances surrounding the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath? What counts as evidence in the political domain will be the focus for this day of discussion on a subject of continuing public debate.”
Can you think of any questions I can ask that have never been raised before regarding Iraq? I wonder if Dr Blix will be as outspoken as during his Guardian interview when he said:
“I have my detractors in Washington. There are bastards who spread things around, of course, who planted nasty things in the media”.
I can think of one:
http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com/2006/08/middle-east-troops-deliberately-under.html
James, Thank you, this subject has already been mentioned, and I agree with your concerns about sending poorly equipped troops off to war. I think there should be quite a hot debate.
Ask him how he felt about having a puppet made of him in the film “Team America – World Police”.
would saddam in power be a lesser evil than the current bedlam in Iraq?
I see his it ot branch out inot monitoring Athletes drug use. You could ask him why he thinks this is a good use of his time (see Times article today in the sports diary column)
It’s terrible, but the only question I can think of is along the lines of whether he’s seen the puppet version of him in Team America. Deary me.
Sounds exciting though Ellee. Will look forwards to reading your account of what he said.
Why should we be there? why should we bother? Why can’t we live our own lives, ignore them. Allow them to be what they want….draw a line in the sand.
Really.
Thanks everyone, I amy not be able to write up on this until tomorrow as it is an all day event and I am going out in the evening, I won’t want to rush it.
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