Chilcot findings published

Sir John Chilcot has released his public enquiry into the nation’s role in the Iraq War, stating that Tony Blair exaggerated the case for war and that military action was not a last resort. The report, seven years in the making, spans almost a decade of UK government policy decisions between 2001 and 2009 and covers the motives behind the invasion and war in Iraq, the preparation of troops and governmental conduct. The report has concluded that while military actions may have been necessary later in the decade, the decision to invade Iraq in March 2003 was 'not a last resort', as claimed by Tony Blair’s government, and that there was no imminent threat from Suddam Hussein. Chilcot has also said that judgements about the severity of threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were presented with a 'certainty that was not justified'. Much of this comes down to the unchallenged basis of flawed intelligence assessments, meaning that legal reasons were ‘far from satisfactory’ and that the consequences were ‘underestimated’. Additionally, the planning and preparations for Iraq after Saddam Hussein were ‘wholly inadequate’. With regards to the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, the report discovered that he ‘overestimated his ability to influence US decisions on Iraq’ and that the relationship between the UK and US does not require the ‘unconditional support’ he gave it. Chilcot asserts that Blair and President George W. Bush were made fully aware of the risk that Iraq could descend into sectarian violence after the fall of Saddam Hussein, yet went to war nonetheless. Blair retains belief that his decision to take military action was taken in ‘good faith’ with the ‘best interests of the country’ taken into account. With a full response expected soon, Blair has said that he ‘will take full responsibility for any mistakes without exception or excuse’ and ‘will set out the lessons I believe future leaders can learn from my experience’. Speaking at Prime Minister’s questions, David Cameron has said that the country needs to learn lessons from the report and told MPs that it is ‘difficult day for all the families of those who lost loved ones’. There will be two full days of debate in the House of Commons on the Chilcot report next week.