The British Broadcasting Corporation said Sunday that David Kelly, a weapons expert whose apparent suicide intensified a debate over whether the British government inflated claims about Iraqi weapons, was its main source for a story at the core of the dispute.
"Having now informed Dr. Kelly's family, we can confirm that Dr. Kelly was the principal source" for a story in which reporter Andrew Gilligan quoted an anonymous official as saying the government had inflated claims of Iraqi weapons, the network said in a statement.
"The BBC believes we accurately interpreted and reported the factual information obtained by us during interviews with Dr. Kelly," the statement continued.
The statement said Kelly had also been the source for a piece by reporter Susan Watts on the BBC's "Newsnight" analysis program.
Kelly was recently grilled by a parliamentary committee days after his name was leaked as the suspected source for Gilligan's May radio report.
"Over the past few weeks we have been at pains to protect Dr. Kelly being identified as the source of these reports," the BBC statement said. "We clearly owed him a duty of confidentiality. Following his death, we now believe, in order to end the continuing speculation, it is important to release this information as swiftly as possible."
The statement said the BBC had waited until Sunday to make the announcement at the Kelly family's request. (Albawaba.com)
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