Wait and see on Iraq, says Blair

British Prime Minister Tony Blair today urged people to examine evidence uncovered by weapons inspectors in Iraq carefully.

The Iraq Survey Group is expected to say it has found no weapons of mass destruction when it reports later today.

But the British Prime Minister stressed it was only an “interim” report and suggested the Group might have found evidence that would have given United Nations backing to the war.

He said: “I think people should wait, just wait until you see the report.

“This is an interim report and the issue that people should focus on is this: will they disclose evidence that this is a breach of the United Nations resolutions that would have triggered a war with UN support if that information had been before the UN?”

Mr Blair refused to say whether his sons had backed or opposed the conflict, saying the question was out of order.

“Don’t take that, incidentally, to mean they were against it,” he added.

He also dismissed talk of a deal to hand the British Labour Party leadership to UK Chancellor Gordon Brown as “gossip”.

Asked about his own plans, he said: “You should stay as long as you have something to do and then go as soon as you don’t.”