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Last Updated: Friday, 30 January, 2004, 01:17 GMT
Hutton in world press spotlight
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Newspapers and media commentators on several continents focus much attention on the long-term implications of Lord Hutton's report, both for the BBC and the British Government.

In Europe, the press argues over how fairly the blame has been apportioned and weighs up the report's consequences for both sides.

Elsewhere, some papers see the outcome as a crippling blow for the corporation, while others predict that the story is far from over.


Mr Blair hopes to be able to use the report to restore his credibility in Great Britain. For the fact that he has forfeited a great deal of it - not only among his members of parliament and his party supporters, but among the public too - has not escaped the British prime minister.

Germany's Frankfurter Rundschau - by Peter Nonnenmacher


It is true that being independent is a basic virtue in journalism, but if it does not come with reporting of the highest rigour, it can only lead to disrepute... Having seen the ruling, the BBC could do nothing to recover its prestige other than take on its responsibility, as Mr Blair would have had to do if there had been an unfavourable verdict.

Spain's El Mundo


Not even Mr Blair's most devoted spin doctors could have delivered a more devout defence... Hutton has resolved the conflict. He lays practically all the blame on the BBC... The obvious conclusion is that Hutton submitted a report which served the interests of the state. Blair won a short-term victory, democracy suffered a defeat.

Sweden's Aftonbladet


The BBC is not alone in having made mistakes. But the news corporation, its journalist and his bosses bear chief responsibility for this unfortunate affair... The BBC's credibility stands and falls on the corporation's journalism being 100% honest, truthful and fair.

Denmark's Information


Hutton's assessment was as comprehensive as it was devastating, going to the heart of the BBC's credibility by indicting every level of the BBC hierarchy - from its flawed reporting, to its defective editorial systems, to its ineffectual board of governors... The effect will likely drain public trust from an institution which until now has been considered sacrosanct.

Israel's Jerusalem Post - report by David Douglas


Blair and the leaders of the Labour Party have so far overcome these challenges in a way that was considered a victory. But this victory is still fraught with risks, the most significant among which is the position of the British public, which still has not given its final word on the results of Labour Party policy. This policy has made a negative impact on the British people.

Syria's Tishrin by Nadim Hatim


Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain has given an impressive demonstration of how good governance can also be smart politics... Its report leaves him substantially vindicated, even though the reporting of British intelligence agencies on Iraq now appears to have been disastrously inaccurate... Establishing that the British Government did not lie is not the same as showing that it proceeded wisely or even competently in this area.

US daily New York Times


The Hutton report will cause far-reaching changes in the operation of the BBC and it will take many years for its dented image to be rehabilitated.

Israel's Haaretz


Lord Hutton's report, its conclusions and inferences about the circumstance of the suicide of British weapons expert David Kelly, remain an internal British issue from our point of view as Arabs... This does not mean that the file of the issue has been completely closed... Arab countries should raise their voices to demand a further investigation.

Qatar's Al-Watan


The Blair battle was naturally a media battle in which the most renowned media organisation was implicated, and in which some of its journalists took an opposition stand against Blair by weaving their own stories, saying that Blair doctored the intelligence dossier to justify the war and influence public opinion.

London Al-Sharq al-Awsat - by Abd-al-Rahman Al-Rashid


To be fair, it is worth saying that even the findings of Lord Hutton's meticulous investigation, which lasted almost half a year, make no pretence at being the final truth, and it is early days yet to regard this matter as closed.

Russia's Novyye Izvestiya by Yelena Ogneva


The last few days have shown that Blair's victories are just tactical. Strategically speaking, the prime minister is in a bad way. He is continuing to lose his party... As for the "Kelly affair", it cannot be considered closed yet.

Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta by Yuliya Petrovskaya


Tony Blair's position remains difficult. Britain's involvement in the military invasion of Iraq, which was not backed up by substantive arguments, has undermined his authority.

Russia's Krasnaya Zvezda by Vadim Markushin


Lord Justice Hutton's report has helped Blair prove his innocence in the Kelly affair, but the problems that Blair faces will still be severe. First of all, until now, a lot of the British public still cannot understand why Blair had to follow the US into war against Iraq.

Shanghai's Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily)


Observers in the UK believe that the Hutton report was obviously advantageous to the British government and it has eased the huge political pressure which the Blair government faced because of the Kelly controversy, but Blair still cannot get out of the cloud of "Iraq-gate".

Beijing's Beijing Qingnian Bao (Beijing Youth Daily)


Britain is today a tired ex-this, ex-that country which is boxing above its weight internationally by pretending to be in a joint ride with its former colony, now global power, the USA... He [Blair] is the only person left in the wide world who believes that weapons of mass destruction will be found in Iraq... He can only go down, not up anymore. It is a question of when, not if, Blair leaves.

Uganda The New Vision by Abdul Raheem Tajudeen


The censure of the BBC could affect more than just its personnel. Blair mentioned in Parliament that the corporation's special charter, dating from 1922, comes up for renewal in 2006. Some took that as a veiled threat that the BBC's special legal status could be altered and it might have to submit to independent regulation as do other media outlets, rather than be controlled by its board of governors.

US daily Los Angeles Times


Because the BBC is overseen by the government and raises most of its funds through a compulsory licensing fee, Blair will have the principal role in choosing a successor to (the former chairman) Gavyn Davies.

US daily Washington Post


BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.




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