# Blair avoids criticism; throws advisor to the wolves **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 18, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359 "2003-07-18T11:11:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/1 "2003-07-18T11:11:59Z")
[More blood on Blairs hands.](http://http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076801.stm) Rather than answer questions on his dodgy Iraq dossier, Blair through his spin-doctor Campbell created a fight with the BBC over their reporting of the affair as a diversionary contact. Then a government advisor was named as a probably source of the leak. The BBC refused to comment, and the man himself denied it. That man is now dead. Whatever way you look at it and whatever the cause of death, Blair and Campbell have blood on their hands. They hung this man out to dry in trying to force the BBCs hand. All so that they could divert attention away from their own suspect dealings. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/2 "2003-07-18T11:15:15Z")
Do you have a link there **FG**? I hadn’t heard that he’d died. What did he die of? pan ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/3 "2003-07-18T11:17:50Z")
Oops. Messed up the link: Here: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk\_politics/3076801.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076801.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/4 "2003-07-18T11:18:00Z")
Erm, futile, I dislike Blair as much as the next man…but I’d still like to see a bit more information on what’s happened here before making any judgements. For example, the current status is: > [@](#): > > The body was found at 0920 BST by a member of the police team searching for Dr Kelly in a wooded area at Harrowdown Hill, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire, but has not yet been identified. It seems a bit early just now to immediately leap to your conclusion of blood on Blair’s hands. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/5 "2003-07-18T11:18:50Z")
Broken link, **Futile** : [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk\_politics/3076801.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076801.stm) ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/6 "2003-07-18T11:23:33Z")
Agree with **Gary Kumquat**. Though subsequent information may well reveal any number of things, it seems premature at this time to arrive at the conclusion that Blair et al. were involved. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/7 "2003-07-18T11:27:10Z")
Governments have lived through much worse scandals than the original BBC story. I don’t see the incentive for this government to choose to risk all by offing this man. I very much doubt that they had anything to do with this at all. pan ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/8 "2003-07-18T11:28:25Z")
Maybe he topped himself to embarrass the government? Bizarrely coincidental, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/9 "2003-07-18T11:29:08Z")
Someday, this’l all make a _great_ movie! ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/10 "2003-07-18T11:33:47Z")
Vince Foster, please pick up the white courtesy phone. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/11 "2003-07-18T11:35:57Z")
I think you misunderstand. I doubt that this is anything other than suicide, as his death is the last thing the Government need. The point is he was put in an impossible situation, accused and convicted by the Government without evidence, all in the name of saving certain political careers. Perhaps it is too early for conclusions. I suppose that there is an outside chance of a tragic accident. But I think we can all join up the dots in this picture. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/12 "2003-07-18T11:40:41Z")
The problem with joining them, **FJ** , is that they aren’t numbered in any discernible manner. At least, from my standpoint. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/13 "2003-07-18T11:44:50Z")
And the irony is that **Futile Gesture** is pissed at Tony for pushing ahead with a decision, without having all of the evidence beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/14 "2003-07-18T11:55:11Z")
Suicide is tragic, but it is always the choice of the one who chooses to commit it. I really don’t see why this guy was driven to it. If anything, I would have thought that he could have played off the publicity quite nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/15 "2003-07-18T11:59:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > \*\*And the irony is that **Futile Gesture** is pissed at Tony for pushing ahead with a decision, without having all of the evidence beforehand. \*\* Yeah, I just pushed right ahead with deploying troops and starting a war in the BBQ Pit. I’ll have my dossier to justify all this prepared for inspection just as soon as I’ve googled it all off the internet. (Not reeeeally comparible.) ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/16 "2003-07-18T12:03:20Z")
**kabbes** , that assessment of suicide is, IMO, rather (and unnecessarily) harsh. It may seem like the “choice” to you, but to many who try and/or are successful it is often the only visible option (the pain of life outweights the pain of death). Back when I was suicidal, FWIW, I would have taken your assessment as an insult of the highest degree because while it may be literally true that it is my “choice”, the far greater issue is what is causing me (or whoever) to have to even consider it. Five years separated from my last serious (i.e. 6+ months) bout of suicidal thoughts have (fortunately or not) not substantially separated me from being able to revisit those times (i.e. while I am not now suicidal, I can remember how it felt). ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/17 "2003-07-18T12:11:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Futile Gesture \* > Yeah, I just pushed right ahead with deploying troops and starting a war in the BBQ Pit. I’ll have my dossier to justify all this prepared for inspection just as soon as I’ve googled it all off the internet. > > (Not reeeeally comparible.) I agree with **Brutus**. The actions are irrelevant to the larger point, which is “pushing ahead with a decision, without having all of the evidence beforehand.” Seems to me that > [@](#): > > Whatever way you look at it and whatever the cause of death, Blair and Campbell have blood on their hands. They hung this man out to dry in trying to force the BBCs hand. All so that they could divert attention away from their own suspect dealings. is making a decision without having all of the evidence (which includes things yet to be discovered). The difference in severities of actions is noted but, as I have already posited in this post, of no consequence to the analogy itself. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/18 "2003-07-18T12:25:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > \*\ ***kabbes** , that assessment of suicide is, IMO, rather (and unnecessarily) harsh. It may seem like the “choice” to you, but to many who try and/or are successful it is often the only visible option (the pain of life outweights the pain of death). Back when I was suicidal, FWIW, I would have taken your assessment as an insult of the highest degree because while it may be literally true that it is my “choice”, the far greater issue is what is causing me (or whoever) to have to even consider it. \*\* You’re right of course. In my defence, I was focussing on this one, specific incident. And in this case, suicide is a “choice” in that if he was suicidal anyway, that can hardly be seen to be the fault of the UK government and if he was _not_ suicidal then… well… I personally would not see the situation as one that is suicide-worthy. Sorry for any offence though. To anyone who may have read this. I’ve had suicidally depressive friends in the past and it isn’t something I’d ever wish to belittle. pan ---
**Author:** ![Galanthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Galanthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galanthus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/19 "2003-07-18T12:34:14Z")
They have now announced that the body found was his and that he was “lying on the ground” about five miles from his house. My personal feeling is that this will turn out to be a stress related heart attack or similar. He was after all 59 and he must of been under some fairly terrible stress. However thats just arm waving as at the moment no one but the police know the real truth. PaulE ---
**Author:** ![Read\_Neck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Read\_Neck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Read_Neck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359/20 "2003-07-18T13:01:54Z")
**FG** - Why is this blood on Blairs hands? Has Gillalind revealed the name of his “source” to the BBC? Has he qualified his source ala “deepthroat” in the Watergate scandal? From what little, I’ve read Kelly said he couldn’t be the source because of the context of his conversation with Gillalind. What I’m trying to say is: What evidence is there of the existence of a source? Not trying to be argumentative but catch me up to speed if you would. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blair-avoids-criticism-throws-advisor-to-the-wolves/189359.md?page=2)