Blair confirms WMD inquiry

British Prime Minister Tony Blair confirmed today that there will be an inquiry into intelligence gathering on pre-war Iraq.

Mr Blair told the House of Commons select committee chairmen that British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw would make an official statement this afternoon about what he said would “effectively” be a fourth inquiry into Iraq.

He said: “I think there are issues, which is why Jack Straw will make a statement on this later today and I hope we can secure agreement about his among all the political parties.”

He went on: “I think there are issues to do with intelligence, to do with intelligence gathering and evaluation and use by government which we can look at.

“But the issue of good faith was determined by the Hutton inquiry and I really think it is incumbent upon people to accept that.”

Mr Blair said he was “not greatly surprised” by scepticism over the Hutton findings of report into the death of UK government scientist Dr David Kelly.

Much of the reporting of the inquiry did not accurately reflect the evidence, he said.

“Lord Hutton made a very specific finding about the allegation that the (Iraq weapons) dossier was so-called ‘sexed-up’ or that intelligence was falsified, that that allegation was wrong,” he said.

“Lord Hutton came to that view but so did the Intelligence and Security Committee come to that view and actually the Foreign Affairs Committee came to the same view about the central allegation.”

Mr Blair rejected suggestions that more minutes should be taken of informal meetings in Number 10.