I am starting to look back on the stories I did for OhmyNews. Just watched an interview with Tony Blair on the BBC. Since found his essay online. Thing that strikes me is that he writes about "regime change" as if this was always the main aim.

Andrew Marr asked no questions about the Chilcot report or whether we can expect publication anytime soon. So I'm going back to links that may have got lost and seem to me to be relevant.

Starting with this on the continuing trial. Includes

In November 2005 the Daily Mirror, a mass circulation newspaper in the U.K., reported that the memo showed Bush wanted to bomb the offices of Al Jazeera in Qatar. The same report quoted Peter Kilfoyle MP as saying: "It's frightening to think that such a powerful man as Bush can propose such cavalier actions. I hope the prime minister insists this memo be published. It gives an insight into the mindset of those who were the architects of war."

In the absence of the Chilcot report there is reasonable speculation about what was said between Tony Blair and George Bush. Many believe the Daily Mirror report had some basis.

Another current story in the UK media is that a jury trial is being held in secret. As reported in the Daily Telegraph "the majority of a major terrorism trial will be heard in secret" , though there has been some change from a previous approach.

In the House of Commons, Dominic Raab, the Tory MP, said the ruling “still allows the state to hand-pick journalists to report on the case”.

He added: “Given what is at stake in terms of principles of open justice and democracy, can we have a statement or debate in the near future?"

It surprises me that as far as I know there has been no reference to the Keogh / O'Connor trial in the reporting of this case or exploring the background. They were charged under the Official Secrets Act for the leaking of the memo that was reported by the Daily Mirror.

As reported in the Guardian

Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the prime minister's leading foreign policy adviser, who said his advice to Mr Blair covered the "waterfront" of foreign, defence and security issues, was persistently questioned about whether documents were marked secret simply to cover up political embarrassment, but denied it.

Rex Tedd QC, defending Keogh,said: "The real position, I suggest, is that central to any principle of confidentiality is protecting any American leader from public embarrassment by the disclosure of what is said."

Unfortunately there is no longer an English language version of OhmyNews but the archive is still available and well worth checking out as some things in the UK seem to get lost in the media mix.