Blair on defensive ahead of Iraq intelligence report

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday declared he had not been fed "duff" information on Iraq, as he prepared to study a report into his government's use of intelligence.

Mr Blair declared yet again that the world was safer without Saddam Hussein, even as he began a series of meetings to discuss today's publication of the Butler Report.

The document was delivered to Mr Blair after a meeting with Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi.

Mr Blair's official spokesman said there would be "normal internal meetings". The Prime Minister's chief of staff Jonathan Powell - one of the men whose conduct was scrutinised by the inquiry - will be among those present.

The premier's spokesman refused to disclose whether Mr Blair would also discuss the report with the man he appointed as head of MI6, John Scarlett.

Mr Scarlett was previously chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, which oversaw the publication of the controversial dossier on Iraq's weapons programme in September 2002.

Lord Butler will publish his report with a press conference at 12.30pm today. Mr Blair will give his response in a statement to MPs an hour later.

Speculation has centred on how far Mr Scarlett will be criticised for bowing to Government requests for a dossier presenting as strong a case against Saddam as possible.

Attorney General Lord Goldsmith's role in declaring the March 2003 conflict legal under UN resolutions could also come under scrutiny, as may the conduct of Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and other ministers.

Lord Butler also wrote during his inquiry to news organisations asking them whether the Government had taken any action prior to the publication of the September 2002 dossier to guide them towards its conclusion that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction which could be readied in 45 minutes.

Both the Liberal Democrats and the Tories refused officially to participate in the inquiry, although ex-Tory minister Michael Mates did so in a personal capacity.

Mr Blair, at his press conference with Mr Berlusconi, was asked if he thought he had been presented with "duff" intelligence and had been made to look foolish in the world community.

The Prime Minister replied: "I don't accept that at all, but you will have to wait for tomorrow."

Mr Blair also said his views on Iraq had not changed since the invasion.