Some British intelligence experts were unhappy with the strength of language used in a dossier on Iraq's weaponry, the inquiry into the death of government scientist Dr David Kelly heard today.
Dr Brian Jones, who headed a team of weapons experts which formed part of the Ministry of Defence's intelligence service, said some of his staff felt the language in the September 2002 dossier, which helped Prime Minister Tony Blair make a case for war, was too strong. Dr Jones, now retired, said he thought Dr Kelly knew of those concerns.
BBC reporter Mr Andrew Gilligan alleged that Mr Blair's communications chief Mr Alastair Campbell included in the dossier a claim that Saddam Hussein could let loose banned weapons at just 45 minutes' notice, knowing it was probably wrong.
"I had some concerns about the 45 minute point myself," Dr Jones told the inquiry under Lord Hutton. "Some of my staff had said that they were unhappy with all of the detail that was in the dossier. My expert analyst on chemical weapons expressed particular concern."
The inquiry has unearthed no evidence that Mr Campbell pushed information into the dossier without the sanction of intelligence chiefs.
Dr Jones said his team's concerns were passed up the command chain. Some were accepted but key ones were ignored.
"We at no stage argued that this intelligence should not be included in the dossier," he said. But the language in key parts of the paper was "too strong".
There was a tendency to "over-egg certain assessments", said Dr Jones, who wrote formally to his superiors to express his reservations.