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CNN Live At Daybreak

International News Desk

Aired August 06, 2003 - 05:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Former British weapons inspector David Kelly will be buried today. But the controversy surrounding him is not being laid to rest. That's just one of the international stories we're following here on CNN.
Our senior international editor David Clinch joins us now to tell us more about this.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Carol, good morning.

Yes, one of the important stories we're covering, in Britain today, David Kelly, a British scientist, a former U.N. weapons inspector, was at one point an adviser to the government, thought to have been the source of the so-called sexed -- the information that leaked out on the sexed up dodgy dossier, as it's called in England. And that is to say specifically that he told, apparently told the BBC that information was included in that dossier despite senior advisers to the government advising that it should not go into the dossier.

Well, just a few weeks ago, as we know, he apparently committed suicide. We do not know, obviously, whether that was as a result of the pressure he faced as being suspected of being the mole for that information. We don't know. But just a fascinating story. And a very important aspect of it is that it's added to the pressure on Prime Minister Blair, who, of course, from the beginning his government has been accused of spinning the dossier itself. Now, he's facing criticism, his government facing criticism for criticizing this man Kelly even after he's dead.

COSTELLO: Well, you have to wonder how he's going to handle this funeral today. Will he send along a note? Will he say anything publicly?

CLINCH: Well, an official of the Blair government is attending. Tony Blair is on holidays at the moment in Barbados and perhaps conveniently not in the country at the moment. But a representative will be there. But a representative of Tony Blair was full of apologies today for having apparently told the newspapers that this man, David Kelly, was a Walter Mitty type, you know, somebody who would be prone to fantasy. He is apologizing for that.

Tony Blair again under pressure for spinning originally the dossier in the first place, as it appears they did, but now also criticizing this man even though he's dead.

COSTELLO: Just from a human factor, imagine David Kelly's family and this guy, this representative from Tony Blair's government being present at the service.

CLINCH: Yes. Yes, it's a very interesting story and I think more to come out on this story over the next few weeks and months. We'll be covering the funeral today in England and I think the investigation into his death, the inquiry into his death is going to start very shortly.

And then, of course, in England today we're still, and in Europe, we're covering the heat wave throughout Europe today. Also keeping an eye on reaction in England amongst the Anglican community there, particularly the Archbishop of Canterbury, to the election of the gay bishop here in the Episcopal Church here, which is the American arm of the Anglican Church, watching for that today.

And then also looking in Liberia today. American troops will be arriving in Liberia today, a very small number...

COSTELLO: Only 10.

CLINCH: A very small contingent of advisers, an advance group, if you want to put it that way, who will officially be examining how they can help the U.S. Africans who are already there as peacekeepers, but also looking into the possibility that more American troops might be able to come and, if so, how they can help to keep the cease-fire in place, which is a very tentative cease-fire, but also to help perhaps long-term to prevent war in Liberia and to also, first of all, get aid distributed. It's still too dangerous for aid agencies to get aid distributed in Liberia.

COSTELLO: All right, we'll get back to you.

David Clinch, many thanks.

CLINCH: OK.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 6, 2003 - 05:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Former British weapons inspector David Kelly will be buried today. But the controversy surrounding him is not being laid to rest. That's just one of the international stories we're following here on CNN.
Our senior international editor David Clinch joins us now to tell us more about this.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Carol, good morning.

Yes, one of the important stories we're covering, in Britain today, David Kelly, a British scientist, a former U.N. weapons inspector, was at one point an adviser to the government, thought to have been the source of the so-called sexed -- the information that leaked out on the sexed up dodgy dossier, as it's called in England. And that is to say specifically that he told, apparently told the BBC that information was included in that dossier despite senior advisers to the government advising that it should not go into the dossier.

Well, just a few weeks ago, as we know, he apparently committed suicide. We do not know, obviously, whether that was as a result of the pressure he faced as being suspected of being the mole for that information. We don't know. But just a fascinating story. And a very important aspect of it is that it's added to the pressure on Prime Minister Blair, who, of course, from the beginning his government has been accused of spinning the dossier itself. Now, he's facing criticism, his government facing criticism for criticizing this man Kelly even after he's dead.

COSTELLO: Well, you have to wonder how he's going to handle this funeral today. Will he send along a note? Will he say anything publicly?

CLINCH: Well, an official of the Blair government is attending. Tony Blair is on holidays at the moment in Barbados and perhaps conveniently not in the country at the moment. But a representative will be there. But a representative of Tony Blair was full of apologies today for having apparently told the newspapers that this man, David Kelly, was a Walter Mitty type, you know, somebody who would be prone to fantasy. He is apologizing for that.

Tony Blair again under pressure for spinning originally the dossier in the first place, as it appears they did, but now also criticizing this man even though he's dead.

COSTELLO: Just from a human factor, imagine David Kelly's family and this guy, this representative from Tony Blair's government being present at the service.

CLINCH: Yes. Yes, it's a very interesting story and I think more to come out on this story over the next few weeks and months. We'll be covering the funeral today in England and I think the investigation into his death, the inquiry into his death is going to start very shortly.

And then, of course, in England today we're still, and in Europe, we're covering the heat wave throughout Europe today. Also keeping an eye on reaction in England amongst the Anglican community there, particularly the Archbishop of Canterbury, to the election of the gay bishop here in the Episcopal Church here, which is the American arm of the Anglican Church, watching for that today.

And then also looking in Liberia today. American troops will be arriving in Liberia today, a very small number...

COSTELLO: Only 10.

CLINCH: A very small contingent of advisers, an advance group, if you want to put it that way, who will officially be examining how they can help the U.S. Africans who are already there as peacekeepers, but also looking into the possibility that more American troops might be able to come and, if so, how they can help to keep the cease-fire in place, which is a very tentative cease-fire, but also to help perhaps long-term to prevent war in Liberia and to also, first of all, get aid distributed. It's still too dangerous for aid agencies to get aid distributed in Liberia.

COSTELLO: All right, we'll get back to you.

David Clinch, many thanks.

CLINCH: OK.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com