Blair claim on Iraq WMDs was overtly political, Scarlett tells inquiry

Guardian – Former spy chief says it was not his place to change then PM’s foreword to discredited intelligence dossier. The government’s spy chief at the time of the invasion of Iraq distanced himself today from Tony Blair’s claim that intelligence had established “beyond doubt” that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. Sir John Scarlett, then chairman of the joint intelligence committee (JIC), said in evidence to the Chilcot inquiry that he had been responsible for drawing up the now discredited dossier on Iraq, but said the foreword in which the claim was made was “overtly political”. Read article

Tags: conspiracy & secrets, Iraq, weapons