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CNN Live At Daybreak

Euro Edition: Morning Papers

Aired January 28, 2004 - 05:42   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check on what's making headlines overseas in this morning's 'Euro Edition.' Hala Gorani is back with us live in London.
What are the front pages looking like this morning -- Hala?

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well only one story is on the front pages of the U.K. papers this morning, Carol, and that is the Hutton report. As you know, Lord Hutton, who has been conducting an investigation into the death of a British scientist for the last few months, is coming out with a report on this inquiry. The report is supposed to be made public and issued on the Internet at 1:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. Central European Time and that's 8:30 a.m. Eastern.

The problem is the report was leaked. Every single newspaper headlining with the Hutton report leaked. "The Sun" came out with it first. "The Sun" saying then that in portions of the report that were leaked and that it is quoting directly in its -- in its central pages saying that Tony Blair and other members of the British government will probably not be held accountable for the apparent suicide of that British scientist and not be held accountable for the leaking of his name to the press in their row with the BBC. It's a complicated issue now.

Here are some of the things that are being said. As a result of the leak, some opposition politicians are now saying who gave the leak to the Blair-friendly tabloid? There are calls for an inquiry into the leak of a report on an inquiry that started as a result of a leak a few months ago. This is absolutely going to spiral. In the next few weeks, people are going to start asking questions. Who gave the information to "The Sun?" Why is it that this confidential, supposedly confidential, report that was given in advance to the Blair government and to some journalists at the BBC, why was it made public? So you have it all over the other tabloids.

LIN: Well what are the implications of that, Hala, I mean just in terms of who would leak the story to the newspaper ahead of time? I mean we're going to hear the news in just a couple of hours, what are the implications of that leak?

GORANI: Well the implications are that earlier than expected, if indeed those reports carried by "The Sun" are true, earlier than expected, we are hearing that apparently the Blair government is not being held responsible for the outing and the naming of that British scientist which apparently led...

LIN: But you think the... GORANI: ... to his suicide.

LIN: Right. I mean is the public going to believe in it? Do you think they are going to buy into the Hutton report? Will it have credibility?

GORANI: You know one of the things that has been said this morning is that the inquiry itself probably caused the initial damage to the Blair government in terms of their credibility and in terms of their popularity with the British public. The report itself, as a result, and the conclusions of the inquiry that will be issued in the report a bit later today, are just going to confirm, if you will, those who -- in their -- in their thoughts against the government, those who oppose the Blair government and probably will comfort others who support the Blair government and their opinion. So it's the -- it's just the talk that has been surrounding...

LIN: Right.

GORANI: ... this inquiry for the last few months that caused the initial damage.

LIN: And more talk to come today, apparently.

Thanks very much, Hala.

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 January 28, 2004 - 05:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check on what's making headlines overseas in this morning's 'Euro Edition.' Hala Gorani is back with us live in London.
What are the front pages looking like this morning -- Hala?

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well only one story is on the front pages of the U.K. papers this morning, Carol, and that is the Hutton report. As you know, Lord Hutton, who has been conducting an investigation into the death of a British scientist for the last few months, is coming out with a report on this inquiry. The report is supposed to be made public and issued on the Internet at 1:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. Central European Time and that's 8:30 a.m. Eastern.

The problem is the report was leaked. Every single newspaper headlining with the Hutton report leaked. "The Sun" came out with it first. "The Sun" saying then that in portions of the report that were leaked and that it is quoting directly in its -- in its central pages saying that Tony Blair and other members of the British government will probably not be held accountable for the apparent suicide of that British scientist and not be held accountable for the leaking of his name to the press in their row with the BBC. It's a complicated issue now.

Here are some of the things that are being said. As a result of the leak, some opposition politicians are now saying who gave the leak to the Blair-friendly tabloid? There are calls for an inquiry into the leak of a report on an inquiry that started as a result of a leak a few months ago. This is absolutely going to spiral. In the next few weeks, people are going to start asking questions. Who gave the information to "The Sun?" Why is it that this confidential, supposedly confidential, report that was given in advance to the Blair government and to some journalists at the BBC, why was it made public? So you have it all over the other tabloids.

LIN: Well what are the implications of that, Hala, I mean just in terms of who would leak the story to the newspaper ahead of time? I mean we're going to hear the news in just a couple of hours, what are the implications of that leak?

GORANI: Well the implications are that earlier than expected, if indeed those reports carried by "The Sun" are true, earlier than expected, we are hearing that apparently the Blair government is not being held responsible for the outing and the naming of that British scientist which apparently led...

LIN: But you think the... GORANI: ... to his suicide.

LIN: Right. I mean is the public going to believe in it? Do you think they are going to buy into the Hutton report? Will it have credibility?

GORANI: You know one of the things that has been said this morning is that the inquiry itself probably caused the initial damage to the Blair government in terms of their credibility and in terms of their popularity with the British public. The report itself, as a result, and the conclusions of the inquiry that will be issued in the report a bit later today, are just going to confirm, if you will, those who -- in their -- in their thoughts against the government, those who oppose the Blair government and probably will comfort others who support the Blair government and their opinion. So it's the -- it's just the talk that has been surrounding...

LIN: Right.

GORANI: ... this inquiry for the last few months that caused the initial damage.

LIN: And more talk to come today, apparently.

Thanks very much, Hala.

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