THE UK: Mr Tony Blair's government is braced for serious criticisms from next week's Butler Inquiry report on pre-war British intelligence on Iraq's alleged stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). And the tension rose in Whitehall last night as Americans heard a devastating account of their part in an alleged "global" intelligence failure over Iraq. Frank Millar, London Editor reports
A member of the Butler Inquiry - senior Conservative MP Mr Michael Mates - has signalled that the report will highlight the "limitations" of intelligence and raise questions about the "misuse of intelligence" by ministers. Amid fresh focus on the "legality" of the war and the legal advice available to British ministers in the build-up to the invasion, it was reported yesterday that the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, is one of the key inquiry witnesses already advised that Lord Butler's report will criticize them directly.
According to the London Independent, Lord Butler will also criticise Mr John Scarlett - the head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, which claimed "ownership" of the Blair government's controversial Iraqi weapons dossier - and the present head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearglove.