The will to understand

By Shawqi Aql

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The death of the former weapons inspector Dr Kelly was tragic in more than one sense. Information indicates that the UK government lied to the British people, deliberately twisting findings on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and at one point plagiarising from a post-graduate research paper. Dr Kelly knew about it, and at one point the respected scientist, who had no particular political affiliation, revealed what he knew to the BBC on condition of anonymity. Curiously, the UK government and House of Commons made more fuss about the leak than the serious charges it involved.

"Is there blood on your hands?" A journalist shouted the words to Prime Minister Tony Blair during a press conference in Japan. The question, which Blair didn't dignify with an answer, is pertinent, for Dr Kelly, as well as thousands of civilians and servicemen who died in Iraq, lost their lives on account of a lie.

In a novel by Alberto Moravia a man, enraged by the inability of those around him to acknowledge the horrors of fascism, shouts in despair: "Those who want to understand will." Does the House of Commons want to understand?

One wonders how much is left of the famed British democracy. On the eve of the campaign against Iraq massive demonstrations were staged in London. The anti-war protests were a tribute to British democracy. Now that the war is over how far is the public ready to question the behaviour of its own government? Perhaps Dr Kelly's death was not in vain. The case is not yet closed.

This week's Soapbox speaker is a civil engineer who writes on domestic and regional politics.