Helen Tunley -

From: Internal Communications

Sent: 17 July 2003 20 19
Subject : BBC Rejects Further Accusaclons About Andrew Gllhgan's Story

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Arie!-i ( htto :L/ariel-i .aatewav .bboco .ukl will follow this story as it develops through Friday.

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BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan has been accused this evening of changing his story when giving further
evidence to Mps over his report that No SO "sexed up" the Iraqi weapons dossier. Andrew's re-
appearance before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee resulted in the criticism, from the Committee
chairman . The BBC has rejected these accusations.

The BBC's said:

"Andrew Gilligan has not changed his story. The Committee launched a series of personal attacks on Mr Gilllgan in an
atmosphere which was largely hostile . The committee was determined to find fault with Mr Gilligan's story but did not
succeed . Mr Gilligan defended his journalism with vigour pointing out among other things that many of his sources'
allegations have now been corroborated by other evidence. We deeply resent the way the committee was used to
attack Mr Gilllgan's integrity ." ,;

\ndrew himself has said :

"I have not changed my story . I told the Committee several times over that I stand by my reporting of every one of
the source's allegations . This was a planned ambush by a hanging jury, with only one Opposition member present for
the relevant section of the meeting . Donald Anderson has deliberately misinterpreted my evidence, and I have asked
for the transcript to be published to make this clear. Labour members of the Committee were determined to find fault
with my story, but did not do so . I defended my journalism with vigour, pointing out among other things that many of
my source's allegations have been corroborated by other evidence."

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Issued by Rissell Grossman I Head ofInterral Comm~nicabons I BBC
Th,rd Floor I London Broadcasting House I Portland Place I LONDON I W1A lAA
T~ (+4< 20 776) 53612 Ft (+d4 20 776) 5K33 VV : bDc.co uk