- As GFP found out (last week), ...Kelly was more than
just an "adviser to the Foreign Office". From 1984-1992 he was
Head of Microbiology at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment,
Porton Down.
-
- Kelly was also among the hardliners who claimed that
Iraq had WMD. In October 2001, Kelly claimed, that in 1985, Iraq obtained
Anthrax through a mail order of Virginia-based American Type Culture Collection.
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- It was not obvious if Kelly was indeed the BBC Source.
-
- Kelly took also part in all trilateral visits to the
former Soviet Union, Russia, the US and the UK. He was Senior Advisor on
Biological Weapons to UNSCOM from 1994--99, and led and participated in
many inspections in Iraq from 1991--98.
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- From 1984-1992 Kelly was Head of Microbiology at the
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down.
-
- Porton Down, controversial for their Chemical Warfare
Experimental Stations from the 20s to the 50s, was also able to obtain
the Anthrax Spores, which had been used in the October 2001 attacks.
-
- Porton Down, directly, and the CIA, indirectly, received
their samples of the particular anthrax spores used in the attacks from
the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infections Diseases at Fort Detrick,
about 50 miles north of Washington.
-
- Since the First World War, the Chemical and Biological
Defence Establishment at Porton Down carried out experiments on volunteers
to understand better the effects of chemical agents that might be used
against British troops in warfare and improve protective measures.
-
- In the 90s, Porton Down's cooperation with the British
Government became stronger again and ended basically in a merger:
-
- By 1991 the Chemical Defence Establishment of Porton
Down became the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment and was one
of the six new Defence Support Agencies. In 1995, the Establishment became
part of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), an executive
agency of MOD evolved in 1994 from proposals of the "Front Line First
Defence Cost Studies.
-
- In 2001, DERA split into two organisations: QinetiQ,
a private company, and DSTL (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory),
which remains an agency of MOD. Porton Down is now known as DSTL, Porton
Down.
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- Today, Dstl delivers defence research, specialist technical
services and the ability to track global technological developments.
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- In July 2002, the Carlyle Group took a 34% stake in QinetiQ.
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