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Mass Media and Social Change in Britain, 1882–2004

The dossier claims and the February 2003 briefing

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 3

Overview

Recall questions on the September dossier and the 45-minute claim, the plagiarised February dossier, the Channel 4 investigation, and how the press reported the case for war.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Numbers

What were the 'Iraq dossiers'?

Key term

What was the September 2002 dossier?

Key term

Why was the February 2003 dossier controversial?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Why was the February 2003 dossier controversial?

    Model answer

    It was dubbed the 'dodgy dossier' after parts were found to have been copied from an old academic thesis.

  2. 2

    What were the 'Iraq dossiers'?

    Model answer

    Government documents of 2002–03 presenting the case that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

  3. 3

    What was the September 2002 dossier?

    Model answer

    The government's published assessment of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, which included the claim that some could be deployed within 45 minutes.

  4. 4

    Why was the 45-minute claim so contentious?

    Model answer

    It was presented without qualification and reported as a threat to British interests, when it referred at most to battlefield munitions.

  5. 5

    Who was John Scarlett?

    Model answer

    The chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, who took formal ownership of the September 2002 dossier and was later appointed head of MI6.

  6. 6

    Why was the February dossier so damaging?

    Model answer

    Channel 4 News revealed the plagiarism within days, which destroyed confidence in the government's evidence and in Campbell's communications operation.

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AThe government admitted 96 dead and 333 wounded.
BOther estimates run to several hundred dead.
COpponents claimed thousands.

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