UK: DAVID KELLY

Independent: Straw admits he wanted 'killer' words in dossier

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, was forced to admit yesterday that he had wanted a "killer paragraph" inserted to the September Iraq weapons dossier and the document "strengthened" on weapons of mass destruction.

But he refused to be drawn on the extent of his own involvement in the apparent wish of two of his senior officials that the identity of David Kelly should be disclosed.

The revelations had come in documents released by the Hutton inquiry and published in The Independent yesterday. Michael Ancram, the shadow Foreign Secretary, wrote to Mr Straw demanding "full" answers. Mr Ancram said later: "The processes within Government that led to the naming of Dr Kelly are fundamental to Lord Hutton's inquiry. From the latest evidence we now know that two senior officials in Jack Straw's department were openly supporting the naming of Dr Kelly. It would be incredible if they did not consult Mr Straw on this matter. There are now serious questions regarding the role of the Foreign Secretary in both the naming of Dr Kelly and the September dossier. These need to be answered as a matter of urgency."