Let there be light
Ken Veitch reflects on the way two recent events have been covered
The resignation of Keith O’Brien, the Scottish cardinal, and the tenth anniversary of the Iraq war have both been headline news. The accompanying publicity, or lack of it, has been illuminating.
Keith O’Brien is a formidable opponent of Trident, the UK’s own weapon of mass destruction, which is based in Scotland and objected to by about three quarters of the people there. He spoke convincingly on ‘Trident seen with the eyes of a twenty-first century faith’ at our Hexham Debates meeting three years ago. He said: ‘We call Trident the nuclear threat, but we must not threaten. That is a moral failure and a weakness. It’s what bullies do.’
In our correspondence since then, Keith O’Brien has spoken of his world travels, his work with international peace and development agencies and his efforts to curb the use of the death penalty. At home he is well disposed to Quakers and other denominations. The ‘Peace and Justice Scotland’ (Catholic ) newsletter is always an uplifting read. At a personal level, Keith O’Brien is approachable and unassuming, and he has bestowed great kindness on a member of our family who is ill. I am sure these are mere drops in the ocean of all the good works he has done. Now, following allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ dating back to the 1980s, he has resigned as leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, less than a month before he was due to retire. He has since admitted that his behaviour ‘fell below the standard’ to be expected from a priest. He has asked forgiveness of those he has offended. The resignation took place in the full glare of publicity.
This contrasts starkly with the continuing suppression of information about the Iraq war. William Hague, the foreign secretary, has written privately to cabinet members urging them not to discuss the case for, or the legality of, the war, which caused the deaths of some 750,000 Iraqis. His letter is confidential. Secrecy must prevail until the outcome of the Chilcot Report, due at the end of this year. We are assured that ‘the Foreign Office cannot discuss confidential ministerial correspondence, or records of talks between Tony Blair and George Bush’. It is clear that there is plenty to hide; the glare of publicity is to be avoided. John Chilcot, chair of an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, is deeply frustrated by Whitehall’s refusal to release papers, including those that reveal which ministers, legal advisers and other officials were excluded from discussions on military action.
A letter to The Guardian shone a bright light on the Iraq war. It said that the war was ‘the best recruiting tool of jihadists… [it] destabilised a region… re-enforced the attitudes of the most tyrannical and violent regimes around the world… fractured this nation’s belief in ethical and honest government, and in large part contributed to the economic mess we find ourselves in now. There is no excuse that these were unanticipated consequences – each were foreseen prior to the invasion.’
There is a very marked contrast between the public moralising and judgements concerning Keith O’Brien, left alone to cope with the allegations against him, and the institutional, impersonal way in which the Iraq war seems likely to be consigned as just one more chapter in our national history, with, perhaps, no one held to account for events that went far beyond ‘inappropriate behaviour‘. Should not politicians demonstrate the same high standards we expect of individuals?
