LONDON -- Last week the inquiry by Senior Appeals Judge Lord Hutton into the July 18 death of weapons expert Dr. David Kelly cleared all state politicians and civil servants -- bar one -- of any blame for Kelly's death and indicted the media, in particular the BBC, for Kelly's wretched end. The one state official whom Hutton criticized as bearing some responsibility for the death was Kelly himself -- for transgressing the civil service rules that were supposed to govern and constrain his conduct.
Kelly should not, says Hutton in his 741-page report, have talked with BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan; the fact that he did was, at the best, naive.
So far, both the BBC chairman, Gavyn Davies, and the director, Greg Dyke, have resigned. No minister, civil servant or political aide has, despite the contumely heaped on their heads.