MGOH,

Which is it? :

"The "45 minute threat", as interpreted by the media, was badly wrong," OR, "(in which he over-egged the pudding by saying "probably" instead of "possibly", but essentially presented a true picture)"

It can't be both "badly wrong" yet present "a true picture".   

So the Government, "launched their own weapon of mass destruction against the BBC for Gilligan's report." No Kevin they didn't what they asked for was that Gilligan correct his report, i.e. to admit that he had got it wrong. Instead of checking and confirming, by internal inquiry, that that was indeed the case. Greg Dyke & Co., at the BBC rather shot themselves in the foot by blindly backing Gilligan.

"The suggestion that MPs base their judgement just on what they hear in the House of Commons, rather than also on what they read in the press, and that therefore lies in the media do not really matter, is not in my view sustainable."

That view of yours, must rather dint your faith in trial by jury. The situation was exactly the same. The Government put forward a case to the House of Commons. To do that it provided what "evidence" their proposed course of action was to be based on in order that the individual Members could make their minds up. The issue was debated in Parliament and a vote was taken - That vote backed Government Policy.

Now the whole intention of Gilligans incorrect report, was to state that the government of the day interfered with the content and wording of the JIC report, with the intention of "sexing it up". For the Government to do as you suggest Kevin would have involved them in doing exactly that - they would in fact be tampering with "evidence" - which you would appear to favour as long as tampering with that evidence pushes people in the direction you personally favour Kevin.

The British Government announced last night that it would be conducting an Inquiry into Intelligence relating to Iraq's WMD. I will predict what that Inquiry will find. They will find that at the time of presentation of the JIC Dossier, the information contained therein was based on credible information, and that procedures followed in relation to the analysis of that intelligence were thorough and rational. I predict that, not because I think that the forthcoming Inquiry will be a "Whitewash", but because that is what the information at the time indicated. I repeat, in order that this rather important point is not forgotten - It was the UN who stated that Iraq possessed WMD, Not G. W. Bush, Not Tony Blair.