"This week, the BBC reported that the government's own scientists advised ministers that the Johns Hopkins study on Iraq civilian mortality was accurate and reliable."

No they did not 282RA. What is quoted above is a perfect example of old-fashioned totally impartial BBC "Dykes-Gilliganesque" spin. The British public have been subjected to this non-stop for the last five years.

As you correctly quote further down in your post what they actually was:

"The Ministry of Defence's chief scientific advisor said the research was "robust", close to "best practice", and "balanced". He recommended "caution in publicly criticising the study".

Now nowhere in any of that do I see the words "accurate" or "reliable" -TRUE?