Ideas, New in Ceasefire - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 5:36 - 11 Comments

Politics | ‘Ricin!’: the plot that never was

In January 2003, the world media erupted with news of how a deadly Al-Qaeda poison attack on London had been foiled. The story was soon part of Colin Powell's infamous presentation to the UN. But when matters came to trial, a very different picture emerged. In an exclusive essay, Lawrence Archer, foreman of the jury, shows how a minor story was "shamelessly distorted by government, media and security forces" to push their own agendas.