I don’t know what to think about the Sun‘s ‘friendly fire’ scoop. On the one hand, it’s a great coup, on the other hand it’s quite possibly a cynical piece of official news management. Roy Greenslade makes a good case for the former point. The only evidence for the latter claim is circumstantial.

So how did the Sun get hold of the video? The likeliest source is the Ministry of Defence.

Was it the action of a frustrated but well-intentioned official keen to allow the Hull family access to the U.S. material?

Was it a calculated attempt to focus blame on the U.S.?

Or a bit of both…or neither?

Perhaps on this occasion charity should win out over skepticism, but only Tom Newton Dunn and whoever leaked the video will know whether that judgment is the right one.