THE GOVERNMENT has finally come clean over the war in Iraq.
Not over the legality of the war or the weapons of mass destruction – those dossiers are still under lock and key. The Government has owned up about another dossier, the one on the thousands of children maimed in the war.
The New Journal three weeks ago helpfully passed it a dossier asking what was being done to help the children and the struggling Iraqi hospitals.
Overseas Development Secretary Hilary Benn promised answers - quickly.
Last night (Wednesday) the answers came.
“They’ve lost the dossier,” said an embarrassed official. “Mr Benn read it and gave it to his officials who passed it to the Ministry of Defence.
“But (the MoD) doesn’t have a record of receiving it.
“They’ve lost it – I didn‚t want to admit that really.”
Benn’s department was first alerted to the limbless children by the New Journal last summer. But DfID is now all at sea:
• It doesn’t know how many children lost arms and legs in the war.
• Nor does it have a comprehensive plan for Iraqi hospitals.
• It has provided small amounts of aid – but has yet to reply to urgent requests for caravans to help the amputee clinic in Basra.
• DfiD officials have failed to meet Iraqi doctors.
The New Journal hopes to raise money for these children, whose plight was illustrated by Zeynab, the 11 year-old girl who lost her right leg and 17 of her family in the war. Last year former New Journal reporter Lee Gordon flew her to Britain for a new leg.
According to the British Limbless Association there are thousands of amputee children in Iraq. The New Journal fund will be presented to the Basra clinic.
n Cheques should be made payable to: Our Home Iraq, and sent to Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR.