The 45-minute case collapses

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

Tony Blair was sent three intelligence reports in the six months during the run up to the Iraq war, including one that warned him that information on whether Saddam Hussein still held any chemical or biological weapons was "inconsistent" and "sparse".

The revelation adds to the mystery of how the Prime Minister could tell Parliament last week that, when war began, he still believed that Iraq held weapons of mass destruction capable of being deployed in just 45 minutes.

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The document (**a Government response to ISC inquiry on WMD, published this week - link below**) makes the startling revelation that the intelligence services had already reported, before the war began, that Iraq's ballistic missiles had probably been dismantled, and that the presence of UN weapons inspectors in Iraq was making it difficult for Iraq to threaten anyone with weapons of mass destruction.

The document added: "The JIC assessments produced in October and December 2002 and again in March 2003 reflected this point. In December 2002, the JIC specifically pointed out that Iraq's ability to use chemical and biological weapons (CBW) might be constrained by the difficulty of producing more whil. UN inspectors were present.
"In March 2003, stated that intelligence on the timing of when Iraq might use CBW was inconsistent and that the intelligence on the deployment was sparse.

"Intelligence indicating that chemical weapons remained disassembled and that Saddam had not yet ordered their assembly was highlighted. The JIC also pointed out the intelligence suggested that the 750km-range Al Hussein ballistic missiles remained disassembled and that it would take several days to assemble them once orders to do so had been issued."

Part 1

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=489101


Part 2

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=489100


Government's Response to the ISC's Report on Iraqi WMD - Intelligence and Assessments 11 September 2003
http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/reports/intelligence/pdf/commandpaper6118.pdf

Iraqi exile admits he never checked WMD intelligence: Technical experts were baffled by weapons data that 'did not fit in'

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=489098


We were misled, say families of British dead

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=489081


Editorial by Charles Kennedy (leader of the Liberal Democrats)

"There is only one question the public want an answer to. And Lord Butler won't provide it. Unless the Prime Minister confronts the real issues head on his government will continue to look as though it has something to hide."

http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=489035