PM's closest aide Powell

As the No 10 Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell is one of Tony Blair's closest aides and at the heart of Downing Street operations.

Lord Hutton may wish to consider the role of Mr Blair's personal special advisers within Government.

  • What influence did Mr Powell have on the September 24 Iraq dossier?

    Mr Powell submitted changes to the dossier after the time limit for amendments had passed.

    On September 19 he wrote to John Scarlett, chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), to question the wording of the issue of chemical and biological weapons.

    Mr Powell said the language in the dossier was "a bit of a problem" as it suggested Saddam Hussein would only use such weapons if he was actually attacked.

    He sent his email 45 minutes after Mr Scarlett's deadline and urged a redraft of the paragraph.

    In the final dossier it was changed from "Saddam is prepared to use chemical and biological weapons if he believes his regime is under threat" to "Saddam is willing to use chemical and biological weapons, including against his own Shia population".

  • How did Mr Powell and Downing Street behave towards Dr Kelly once he told of his unauthorised contact with Andrew Gilligan?

    Mr Powell sent an internal email on September 8 - the day the MoD press statement was released saying an unnamed official had come forward - referring to John Reid's comments about "rogue elements".

    He said officials could say - if asked about Dr Kelly - that "this rogue element was not part of the intelligence services at all".

  • What influence did Mr Powell have on the naming of Dr Kelly?

    On September 9 Mr Powell was cited in an email sent by Peter Watkins, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's private secretary, to chief press officer at the MoD Kate Wilson.

    It read: "JP (Jonathan Powell) has separately suggested to SoS (Secretary of State, Mr Hoon) that we should simply name our man, but left the decision to Mr Hoon, who has not yet reached a final view."

    Later that day, a letter sent to the BBC contained Dr Kelly's name.

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