BRITAIN: Mr Alastair Campbell considered secretly briefing a newspaper that the possible source of the BBC's story on the British government's Iraq weapons dossier had been uncovered, it was disclosed yesterday.
The inquiry into the death of government weapons expert Dr David Kelly heard that Mr Campbell - the Downing Street communications chief - had considered leaking the fact that the scientist had come forward without naming him.
Mr Godric Smith - official spokesman of the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, and Mr Campbell's deputy - told the inquiry he had dissuaded Mr Campbell from going ahead with the plan warning it was a "bad idea".
The inquiry, headed by Lord Hutton, is investigating why Dr Kelly apparently took his own life after being identified as the source of the BBC story claiming the government had "sexed up" the dossier to strengthen the case for war.
Earlier, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence, Sir Kevin Tebbit, described how both Mr Blair and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon had been anxious to reveal publicly that Dr Kelly had come forward in the hope he could refute the BBC report.
Mr Smith said he had walked into Mr Campbell's office on July 7th - the week after Dr Kelly admitted to ministry officials he had met BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan - to find him talking on the speaker-phone to Mr Hoon.
"Alastair floated the idea that the news that an individual had come forward who could be the possible source be given that evening to one paper."
Mr Hoon had replied that he would "see where things stood".
Mr Smith said he thought Mr Campbell was concerned that Mr Blair had been due to give evidence the next day to the Commons liaison committee and could be put in a "difficult position" if the subject came up.
However, after Mr Campbell left the office, Mr Smith said he had discussed the plan with the other prime ministerial spokesman, Mr Tom Kelly, who had agreed that it was not a good idea.
"I reflected on what I had heard and thought that it was a bad idea. I said as much to Tom Kelly and asked whether he agreed and he did, so I said that the best thing was to get Alastair Campbell on the phone so we could tell him," he said.
He said Mr Campbell had agreed and the plan was dropped.
In his evidence to the inquiry on Tuesday, Mr Campbell made no mention of the discussion.
Mr Smith said he had considered it was a bad idea because it seemed "somewhat complex" to have the story appear in one newspaper and then confirmed to other journalists by the ministry.
"I felt the government should not be in a position where it was responding to this news," he said.
"The fact that someone had come forward in this way was important, relevant information and in the public interest."
Mr Smith also described how the following day a group of senior officials had gathered in his office in Downing Street to draw up a press statement disclosing that an unnamed official had come forward as the possible source of the BBC story.
Present besides Mr Campbell and Mr Kelly, were Sir Kevin Tebbit, permanent under-secretary at the Ministry of Defence; the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, Mr John Scarlett; and the No 10 chief-of-staff, Mr Jonathan Powell.
"I think it was basically the collective view that we had reached the point where we were going to have to put this in the public domain," he said. However, he distanced himself from the ministry decision to confirm Dr Kelly's identity to journalists who came up with the right name.
"From my perspective, this was a very sensitive personnel issue that was being handled by a Whitehall department and which directly affected the Downing Street communications directorate," he said.
"I would not think it appropriate to inject myself in that level of detail into the process."
Earlier, Sir Kevin told the inquiry that the decision to make a public statement had been the "collective view" of the prime minister, Mr Scarlett and the Cabinet Office intelligence and security co-ordinator, Sir David Omand.
"It was felt necessary, not just in the MoD but very strongly in No 10 and the Cabinet Office, that it would be necessary for a statement to be made, that the information could not be held back."
At that stage Dr Kelly had confirmed he had an unauthorised meeting with Mr Gilligan, but if he was the source of the story the journalist must have "embellished" his account.
Sir Kevin said Mr Hoon had been "very concerned" that if Dr Kelly was the BBC source, it should be "brought to light to correct the public record" and refute the BBC story.
"This was a massive issue. I don't think one can underestimate the importance of the charge levelled against the government as perceived by ministers - my minister Geoff Hoon and No 10," he said.