[PEN-L:36188] Stalingrad - it's official

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The British correspondent who was the source for concerns that this could
turn into another Stalingrad, has turned out to be none other than Andrew
Marr, the senior BBC political correspondent, who is at the height of his
prestige and communicating ability.

It is clear that Alistair Campbell deliberately dropped this word to him,
in the plane as Blair flew to meet Bush.

This is the highest level evidence there could be, short of being on the
record, that Blair has flown to Washington because he fears another Stalingrad.

Chris Burford

London



> Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 07:50:23 +0000
>
> From: Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: "Stalingrad"
>
> That word again!

> the BBC reporter in the USA (Washington?) this morning .......quoting one
> of the correspondents on the plane with Blair saying "there are concerns
> this could turn into another Stalingrad".
>
> This would have been a briefing deliberately off the record, so that the
> reporter could not use it directly. He/she might get punished by having
> fewer minutes of private consultation with Alistair Campbell or Tony Blair
> on the next flight for leaking this. But then again he or she may have
> done what was expected - got off the plane, palled up with the BBC
> reporter in Washington, and chatted. Everything off the record, everything
> unattributable.
>
> But Rumsfeld, cough, cough, is facing Stalingrad.