President George W. Bush said today he will appoint an independent commission to investigate discrepancies in intelligence used to justify the war against Iraq.
"I want to know all the facts," he told reporters. He also said he would meet soon with Mr David Kay, the former chief US weapons hunter in Iraq, who told a congressional hearing last week that much of the intelligence about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction was wrong.
Mr Bush, who had earlier opposed such a commission, was under strong pressure from Republicans and Democrats in Congress to support an independent inquiry into intelligence that said Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons when in fact none have been found.
President George W. Bush
The White House has indicated a bipartisan commission will investigate why searches in Iraq have not found Weapons of Mass Destruction that the Bush-led administration insisted were hidden by Saddam Hussein.
But wary of the potential damage the commission's findings may have on his re-election chances this year, Mr Bush is expected to ask the inquiry to report after the November poll.
Democrats have been insisting on publication this year.
"It is important that the work of the commission is done in a way that it doesn't become embroiled in partisan politics," the White House official said.
"We need a commission that not only looks back but looks ahead at ways we can improve our intelligence-gathering to meet the new and dangerous threats we face today."
About nine members are expected to be picked for the commission. Some will be experts outside the government; others could be members of Congress.