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The phrase gained currency in the [[United Kingdom]] on 29 May 2003, when BBC defence correspondent [[Andrew Gilligan]] filed a report for [[BBC Radio 4]]'s [[Today programme|''Today'' programme]] in which he stated that an unnamed source, a senior British official, had told him that the [[September Dossier]] had been "sexed up", and that the intelligence agencies were concerned about some "dubious" information contained within it—specifically the claim that [[Saddam Hussein]] could deploy weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes of an order. The dubious information was used to make the case for urgent action and to justify the war with Iraq.<ref>{{cite news |first= Ewen|last= MacAskill|authorlink= |coauthors= |title=10 ways to sex up a dossier |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2003/sep/27/uk.davidkelly1 |quote=Close analysis shows the changes were intended to make the case for urgent action, and then to justify war |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 27, 2003 |accessdate=2009-08-11 | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Dossier on Iraq was not sexed up |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/09/12/stories/2003091201641500.htm |quote=After weeks of damaging headlines, the Blair Government scored a significant hit against its critics today when a high-power parliamentary committee cleared it of the allegation of "sexing up" the controversial dossier on Iraq's weapons capability, published last September. |work=[[The Hindu]] |date= September 12, 2003 |accessdate=2009-08-12 }}</ref>
[[Brian Hutton, Baron Hutton]] explained the term "sexed up" when used by the [[BBC]] as "a slang expression, the meaning of which lacks clarity in the context of the dossier...It is capable of two different meanings. It could mean that the dossier was embellished with items of intelligence known or believed to be false or unreliable to make the case against Saddam Hussein stronger or it could mean that whilst the intelligence contained in the dossier was believed to be reliable, the dossier was drafted in such a way as to make the case against Saddam Hussein as strong as the intelligence contained in it is permitted. "Only in the latter sense - according to Hutton's view - could the dossier be called sexed up. Some have called this "Doublethink"." <ref>{{cite news |author=[[Catherine Bennett (journalist)|Catherine Bennett]] |coauthors= |title=The sexing up of absolutely everything |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1133743,00.html |quote=The term "sexed up", as Lord Hutton explained yesterday, with wonderfully understated, under-sexed distaste, is "a slang expression, the meaning of which lacks clarity in the context of the dossier". If he says so. "It is capable of two different meanings. It could mean that the dossier was embellished with items of intelligence known or believed to be false or unreliable to make the case against Saddam Hussein stronger or it could mean that whilst the intelligence contained in the dossier was believed to be reliable, the dossier was drafted in such a way as to make the case against Saddam Hussein as strong as the intelligence contained in it is permitted." Only in the latter sense, according to Hutton's view, could the dossier be called sexed up. Some have called this "Doublethink". |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=29 January 2004 |accessdate=2009-08-12 | location=London}}</ref>
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