Campbell at the Iraq inquiry – half-way thoughts

Some hurried half-way observations about what we’ve seen so far. No real palpable hit as far as I could see but then (as I blogged yesterday) that’s not necesarily surprising given the number of Iraq inquiries Campbell has already given evidence to. It’s also not really the style of the Chiclot Inquiry as the chairman himself has gone to some lengthes to state.

The questioning styles of the two interrogators thusfar are markedly different. As throughout the Inquiry Lyne’s not afraid to interrupt, to stop Campbell and say ‘That’s not my question’ – four times in one exchange by my reckoning.

It was notable that when the two men started talking at the same time at one point it was Campbell who eventually gave way, perhaps not something he’s accustomed to doing. Prashar’s questions on the other hand are by-and-large simpler and she breaks into Campbell less.

Interesting to hear Campbell’s tetchiness about Sir Christopher Meyer’s evidence – Meyer didn’t paint a very realistic picture of the Crawford summit, Meyer was ‘remarkably churlish’ about Blair’s efforts to keep the US along the diplomatic UN route.

Crawford has obviously been the key bone of contention thusfar and one can’t help feeling it’s a glass half-full/empty scenario, eye-of-the-beholder stuff. To Campbell, Blair was simply repeating a policy he’d backed pretty much since coming to power – disarmament one way or the other. Lyne’s trying hard to establish a key step-change from containment to regime change. Not sure who’s convinced me yet.

More at the end.