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Cast of Characters
This page lists most of the people who took part in the sexing-up of the dossier and/or the cover-up, with a small roll of honour for those who have undertaken to expose these lies. In most cases, the roles described relate to September 2002.
Alastair Campbell
At the time of the dossier and most of the Hutton Inquiry, Campbell was the government's Director of Communications and Strategy. Prior to this he was a journalist on the Mirror.
Ann Taylor MP
Former Labour MP and now Baroness Taylor of Bolton. Chaired Intelligence and Security Committee inquiry and represented Labour on Butler Review.
David Chidgey MP
Liberal Democrat MP and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2003.
Tony Cragg
Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence. JIC member.
Sir Richard Dearlove
Head of MI6/SIS
William Ehrman
Director General (Defence & Intelligence) at the Foreign Office. Gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee with Jack Straw. Subsequently Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and UK ambassador to China.
Sir Joe French
Chief of Defence Intelligence Staff. JIC member
Andrew Gilligan
BBC reporter whose Today programme report, based on information from Dr David Kelly alleged that the dossier had been "sexed-up".
Paul Hamill
Foreign Office press officer, attached to Coalition Information Centre. One of four spin doctors named in John Scarlett's letter to Tony Blair of 4 June 2003 as "involved" in drafting the dossier. Almost certainly the author of February 2003 "dodgy dossier". His name was in the electronic history of that document when it was posted on the No. 10 website and Alastair Campbell confirmed in his memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Committee (paras 15-18) that this was because he worked at the Coalition Information Centre, which produced the document.
Dr Brian Jones
Branch Head in the Scientific and Technical Directorate of the Defence Intelligence Analysis Staff, part of the DIS.
Dr David Kelly
Weapons expert and former UN Weapons Inspector. Source of Andrew Gilligan's controversial report. His suicide in July 2003 led to the Hutton Inquiry.
Tom McKane
Defence and Overseas Secretariat, Cabinet Office
John Maples MP
Tory MP and former minister. Member of Foreign Affairs Committee in 2003.
Mark Matthews
Foreign Office Press Officer. Middle East specialist. Offered by Williams to rewrite dossier. Addressee of Pruce email 10/9/02. Attended meeting on evening of 11/9/02
Sir David Manning
Tony Blair’s chief foreign affairs adviser. Head of Defence and Overseas Secretariat
Julian Miller
Chief of JIC assessments staff and John Scarlett's deputy. With Scarlett was nominally "in charge" of drafting dossier. Chaired meetings of the Dossier Drafting Group.
Joanna Nadin
Special Adviser working for Alastair Campbell. Told Campbell that dossier's nuclear claims left her feeling there was "nothing much to worry about". Also wrote Saying "intelligence suggests that this factory has probably been rebuilt" is not entirely convincing. Also a children’s author.
David Omand
Intelligence and Security Coordinator at the Cabinet Office and JIC member. Head of Intelligence and Security Secretariat
Ed Owen
Special Adviser to Jack Straw. Author of email of 17.9.02 to John Williams and John Scarlett, making comments on executive summary.
James Paver
Foreign Office Press Officer. One of four spin doctors named in John Scarlett's letter to Tony Blair of 4 June 2003 as "involved" in drafting the dossier.
Jonathan Powell
Tony Blair's Chief of Staff
Daniel Pruce
One of four spin doctors named in John Scarlett's letter to Tony Blair of 4 June 2003 as "involved" in drafting the dossier. Attended meetings of the dossier drafting group as a representative of No 10 press office - and therefore Alastair Campbell. In spite of this, he was described by Campbell as "not terribly involved in the process" of drafting the dossier. His email of 10 September 2002 was the only document disclosed to the Hutton Inquiry to refer directly to John Williams' 9 September draft of the dossier.
Peter Ricketts
Political Director at the Foreign Office. Gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee with Jack Straw. Also took part in the decision to name Dr David Kelly.
John Scarlett
Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee at the time of the dossier's drafting, of which he was nominally "in charge". Now head of SIS/MI6. See BBC profile Knighted in 2007 New Year honours.
Jack Straw
Foreign Secretary
John Williams
As the Foreign Office press secretary, Williams wrote the first full draft of the dossier. One of four spin doctors named in John Scarlett's letter to Tony Blair of 4 June 2003 as "involved" in drafting the dossier.