The British government this evening launched a fresh assault on the country's public broadcaster, the BBC, over a claim government officials doctored a dossier on Iraq's weapons to strengthen their case for war.
Breaking a temporary truce in the weapons row, Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair's office said a letter from a top Blair aide that was leaked to a newspaper proved that the British Broadcasting Corporation's charges was false.
The attack came as the BBC said it had launched an internal investigation into the sequence of events leading up to the claim.
The Guardiannewspaper today published a letter sent by Mr Alastair Campbell, Mr Blair's communications chief, to a parliamentary committee that is probing an allegation aired on the BBC that Campbell "sexed up" Iraqi intelligence.
In the letter - which Mr Blair's office said bore the approval of the intelligence services - Mr Campbell said he suggested 11 changes to a September dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, six of which were adopted.
Mr Blair's spokesman said the letter proved Mr Campbell had not sought to exaggerate intelligence of Iraq's banned weapons - the primary Anglo-American motive for attacking Iraq.
The letter "completely contradicts the BBC's claim," the spokesman said. The BBC later said it had launched an internal investigation into its handling of the story, following a request from Defence Secretary Mr Geoff Hoon.