Before We Go Off "Half-Cocked" on the British War Memos

While breakfasting before heading for worship this morning, I read an account of those eight top secret memos reflecting concerns at the highest levels of the British government over the Bush Administration for going to war in Iraq. It all seemed pretty damning, as though President Bush and top aides were hell-bent on regime change in Iraq irrespective of the evidence regarding any alleged escalation in Saddam Hussein's program to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

But then, I read this:

The eight memos - all labeled "secret" or "confidential" - were first obtained by British reporter Michael Smith, who has written about them in The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

Smith told AP he protected the identity of the source he had obtained the documents from by typing copies of them on plain paper and destroying the originals.

The AP obtained copies of six of the memos (the other two have circulated widely). A senior British official who reviewed the copies said their content appeared authentic. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secret nature of the material.

Even granting the attempt to authenticate the documents by the AP, I still couldn't help but wonder whether they're for real. Stories based on copied originals, which have been destroyed? I dismissed this train of thought as silliness. But, apparently I'm not the only one to wonder.

The documents may be authentic. If they are, they truly are damning. But before we draw any conclusions, shouldn't some effort be expended to definitively establish their authenticity?

Glenn Reynolds links to the Captain's Quarters post above.