How privately exactly?

When journalists say that someone says or thinks something "privately", they usually mean that person has expressed an opinion that they would like to see repeated but without attribution. Last week the BBC's Frank Gardner told us that officials were privately dismissing criticism from former MI5 chief Stella Rimmington that ministers are exploiting terrorism fears.

Today, the Observer reports that Gordon Brown has won "the race" to be the first European leader to meet Obama:

Privately, there was delight at Number 10 that Brown, who is struggling in the opinion polls as the economy goes from bad to worse, had got one over his French rival and would have a chance to raise his profile as a world leader alongside the new president.

So privately that it's in a national newspaper...

Astonishing

There has been a trial. Some men were convicted of terrorist offences. They and others were not convicted of other offences as the jury could not reach a verdict. According to the BBC

Counter-terrorism officials were "dismayed" by the verdicts in the trial linking eight men to a transatlantic bomb plot, the BBC has learnt.

The BBC's Frank Gardner said there had been "astonishment" in Whitehall as the evidence was considered to be strong.

The BBC's Frank Gardner is fast developing a career as the mouthpiece of the security services. The state doesn't get the verdict is wants and - while a retrial remains a possibility - uses the state broadcasting service to moan about the outcome and talk up the evidence.

Or perhaps the state over-egged the whole airliner plot from the outset.