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BBC 6 0277

Greg Dyke, the director-general of the BBC, sent an email to all BBC staff regarding the death of Dr. David Kelly. He explained that Dr. Kelly was the main source for BBC stories questioning the British government's claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. While the BBC did everything possible to protect Dr. Kelly's anonymity, his name was revealed publicly which led to enormous pressure on him. After Dr. Kelly's death was confirmed, the BBC acknowledged that he was their principal source, though they waited until Sunday to do so at the request of his family. Dyke expressed his regret at Dr. Kelly's involvement with the BBC leading to such a tragic end and said the BBC would fully cooperate with the upcoming

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71 views1 page

BBC 6 0277

Greg Dyke, the director-general of the BBC, sent an email to all BBC staff regarding the death of Dr. David Kelly. He explained that Dr. Kelly was the main source for BBC stories questioning the British government's claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. While the BBC did everything possible to protect Dr. Kelly's anonymity, his name was revealed publicly which led to enormous pressure on him. After Dr. Kelly's death was confirmed, the BBC acknowledged that he was their principal source, though they waited until Sunday to do so at the request of his family. Dyke expressed his regret at Dr. Kelly's involvement with the BBC leading to such a tragic end and said the BBC would fully cooperate with the upcoming

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Cheryl Wright-DiGsOffice

From: internal Comm unications


Sent: 21 July 2003 17 11
Subject : From Greg Dyke. Dr Kelly and the BBC

This email is being sent to everyone in the BBC

I felt r important for me to write to everyone at the BBC today given the tragic death of Dr David Kelly . His friends
and .^.olleaoues have this weekend paid tribute to a man of integrity and principle .

As you will have all read by now Dr Kelly vwas tie main source for both Andrew GOiigan's story on th> Today
programme on May 29th and Susan Watts' reports on Newsnight on June 2"° and 4t~ .

I would like to explain to yo~ all vvhat we did over the weekend and why. It is one of tne fundamental principles of
Journalism never to name your source unless the source is willing, to be named . In recent weeks we did everything
possjble to pro :ect Dr Keliy's anonymity and we believe thai we were m no way responsible for his name comi-ig into
__ public arena . Clearly, once it was public Dr Kelly came under enormous pressu-e .

ollowng confirmation of Dr Kelly's death on Saturday, Richard Sambrook and I took the decision that it was now
right and proper for us to acknowleoge that Dr Kelly v,-as our principal source. We didn't do this u^zil Sunday morning
at the request of Dr Kelry's family,

As a mark of resoect we a-e saying very little at this t,me other tian that we believe we have acted in the public
interest at all times . We will obviously fuliy co-opera=e with Lord Hutton's inquiry .

As Richard Sambrook said in his statement yesterday, it :s with the greatest regret that D~ Kelly's involvement as our
source has had such a tragic end . At such a Dalnful time I am sure all our though_s are with his `amily .

Grea

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