Tony Blair's reputation was today lacerated by the Iraq War report as it revealed he told George W Bush they should 'act now, explain later' in a secret memo sent two years before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The former prime minister was also accused of twisting intelligence about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein to justify the war that led to the deaths of 179 British soldiers and left hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead - but Mr Blair still insists he never lied.
After seven years of deliberations, the Chilcot report found that the former prime minister overplayed evidence about the dictator's weaponry and ignored peaceful means to send troops into the country.
In a devastating set of conclusions, Sir John found Blair presented the case for war with 'a certainty which was not justified' based on 'flawed' intelligence about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
It also said Blair had 'overestimated' his ability to influence US president George W Bush and the way the legal basis was established was branded 'far from satisfactory' and bypassed the UN and undermined the international system.
And Blair was not prepared for the consequences of Iraq War despite 'explicit warnings' as he doggedly pursued an invasion, Sir John's report said.
'Act now, explain later': What Blair told Bush TWO YEARS before Iraq war is revealed in eviscerating Chilcot report into Gulf debacle
Chilcot report 2003 Iraq War heavily criticises Tony Blair over the way he took Britain into the war alongside the US Report found that invasion was based on 'flawed' intelligence about Iraq and was 'not the last resort' at the time
Email sent by Blair to George W Bush hours after September 11 advised him to 'act now and justify later'
Blair as not prepared for the consequences of Iraq War despite 'explicit warnings' and bypassed peace for war
Ex-PM maintains he did not lie and said today her still believed 'it was better to remove Saddam Hussein'
Families of 179 war dead call him 'the world's worst terrorist' and promised to pursue him through the courts
Mr Blair will be very unlikely to face war crime trial in The Hague - but British soldiers could still be prosecuted
By James Tapsfield, Political Editor and Martin Robinson Uk Chief Reporter and Tim Sculthorpe, Deputy Political Editor and Richard Spillett for MailOnline
6 July 2016
Tony Blair's reputation was today lacerated by the Iraq War report as it revealed he told George W Bush they should 'act now, explain later' in a secret memo sent two years before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The former prime minister was also accused of twisting intelligence about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein to justify the war that led to the deaths of 179 British soldiers and left hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead - but Mr Blair still insists he never lied.
After seven years of deliberations, the Chilcot report found that the former prime minister overplayed evidence about the dictator's weaponry and ignored peaceful means to send troops into the country.
In a devastating set of conclusions, Sir John found Blair presented the case for war with 'a certainty which was not justified' based on 'flawed' intelligence about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
It also said Blair had 'overestimated' his ability to influence US president George W Bush and the way the legal basis was established was branded 'far from satisfactory' and bypassed the UN and undermined the international system.
And Blair was not prepared for the consequences of Iraq War despite 'explicit warnings' as he doggedly pursued an invasion, Sir John's report said.
29 secret letters Mr Blair wrote to George W Bush were published for the first time today and in July 2002, eight months before MPs voted to back an invasion, Mr Blair had told the president: 'I will be with you, whatever'.
But after Sir John published his report today Tony Blair said the inquiry proved there 'was no falsification or improper use of Intelligence', 'no deception of Cabinet' and 'no secret commitment to war whether at Crawford Texas in April 2002 or elsewhere'.
Families of the 179 servicemen and women who died in the Iraq War said today they are set to pursue him through the courts and called Mr Blair 'the world's worst terrorist' and slammed him for not 'looking us in the eye' as the report was released.
A grim-faced Tony Blair leaves his London mansion before his part in bringing about the Iraq War was laid bare by Sir John Chilcot today
Judgement day: Sir John Chilcot delivers his speech this morning at the QEII Centre in Westminster on the day his 2.6 million word report is published. Tony Blair, bottom, was heavily criticised over his planning of the war but he still denies he lied
Unveiling his 2.6 million-word report into the UK's most controversial military engagement since the end of the Second World War, Sir John said: 'We have concluded that the UK chose to join the invasion of Iraq before the peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted. Military action at that time was not a last resort.
'We have also concluded that the judgments about the severity of the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction - WMD - were presented with a certainty that was not justified.
'Despite explicit warnings, the consequences of the invasion were under-estimated. The planning and preparations for Iraq after Saddam Hussein were wholly inadequate. The Government failed to achieve its stated objectives.'
Among the main conclusions in the 2.6 million word report are:
There was no imminent threat from Saddam Hussein in March 2003 and Mr Blair took us to war 'before the peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted'. Sir John said: 'Military action at that time was not a last resort.
Mr Blair, his then foreign secretary Jack Straw and the government presented judgements about intelligence on the threat posed by Iraq's WMD with a 'certainty that was not justified'.
Attorney General Lord Goldsmith only agreed that the invasion would be legal based on assurances from Mr Blair that Iraq had committed 'material breaches' of UN resolution 1441. But the inquiry said it was 'unclear' what evidence Mr Blair had for this and branded the process 'far from satisfactory'.
Mr Blair, who has been frequently criticised for his 'sofa government' style, repeatedly failed to involve his whole Cabinet in key decisions.
The inquiry dismissed the ex-PM claims that he could not have known how difficult the post-invasion situation would be.
The government were aware that the US had 'inadequate' plans for stabilising Iraq but had little influence over key decisions such as dismantling Hussein's Ba'ath party and security services.
The Ministry of Defence was slow to respond to the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and delays in providing more heavily armoured patrol vehicles for personnel were 'intolerable'.
The 'most consistent strategic objective' in Iraq was to reduce the number of troops it had deployed there, particularly after operations in Afghanistan became more intense.
One symptom of the failures was that UK forces had to strike a 'humiliating' deal with militia in Basra to swap prisoners in return for an end to deadly attacks on soldiers.
Tony Blair has said that his decision to take military action against Saddam Hussain was taken 'in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country'.
Sir John said Mr Blair was wrong to claim that the risks of instability following the invasion could not have been known in advance.
Although he made no judgment on whether military action was legal, Sir John's seven-year inquiry found that Attorney General Lord Goldsmith's decision that there was a legal basis for UK involvement in the US-led invasion was taken in a way which was 'far from satisfactory'.
Previously unseen letters sent from Mr Blair to Mr Bush also show that nearly two years before the invasion the PM was suggesting they needed to 'act now and explain and justify later' to stop the spread of WMD.
Delivering the report's damning findings – which will inevitably spark renewed calls for action against Mr Blair - Sir John Chilcot said: 'The evidence is there for all to see. It is an account of an intervention which went badly wrong, with consequences to this day.'
Announcing the dramatic conclusions today, Sir John said: 'More than 200 British citizens dies as a result of the conflict in Iraq. Many more were injured. This has meant deep anguish for many families, including those who are here today.
'The invasion and instability in Iraq had, by July 2009, also resulted in the deaths of at least 150,000 Iraqis – and probably many more – most of them civilians. More than a million people were displaced.'
Fighting back Tony Blair said that his decision to take military action against Saddam Hussain was taken 'in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country'.
He also insisted it was still 'better to remove Saddam Hussein' than allow the tyrant to continue in power, adding the inquiry proved there 'was no falsification or improper use of Intelligence', 'no deception of Cabinet' and 'no secret commitment to war whether at Crawford Texas in April 2002 or elsewhere'.
Families wanted to know if Tony Blair did secretly agree to invade Iraq in 2002 (pictured together at Camp David that year) and then build a case towards war
Anger: Protestors unfurled a giant banner outside Tony Blair's central London home today calling for him to face a criminal trial
The inquiry examined the so-called notorious dossier published by the government on September 24, 2002, as Mr Blair started to lay the ground for a potential move on Iraq.
It claimed that Hussein's regime had the ability to launch a WMD strike within 45 minutes.
Mr Blair told the House of Commons the same day that the threat from the dictator was severe and would become a reality at some point in the future.
But Sir John said: 'The judgements about Iraq's capabilities in that statement, and in the dossier published the same day, were presented with a certainty that was not justified.'
The report criticised the 'ingrained belief' among UK policy formers and intelligence services that Iraq had retained WMD.
It said the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) had agreed the content of the dossier itself, and there was 'no evidence' that evidence was improperly included or that Downing Street influenced the text.
But the JIC was rebuked for not ensuring that its real assessment – that it had not been established beyond doubt that Hussein's regime was still producing WMD – was not clear.
And the report said the way a foreword written by Mr Blair had been attached to the dossier would have given MPs and the public a different impression.
'In the foreword, Mr Blair stated that he believed the 'assessed intelligence' had 'established beyond doubt' that Saddam Hussein had 'continued to produce chemical and biological weapons, that he continues in his efforts to develop nuclear weapons and that he had been able to extend the range of his ballistic missile programme'.'
Protests: Several demonstrators were wearing Tony Blair masks and painted blood on their hands as they called for Mr Blair to be prosecuted
Movement: More than a million people marched in 2003 to protest against the war and many returned to central London today (above) to repeat their concerns about what happened
Uproar: Protesters have returned to Whitehall to protest over the war afresh today after the report slammed the way it was planned
Under pressure: Mr Blair, pictured with troops in Iraq in 2003, has been accused of 'misleading Parliament and the public' in taking the UK into the Iraq War and is facing calls for criminal action
The former prime minister was also accused of twisting intelligence about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein to justify the war that led to the deaths of 179 British soldiers and left hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead - but Mr Blair still insists he never lied.
After seven years of deliberations, the Chilcot report found that the former prime minister overplayed evidence about the dictator's weaponry and ignored peaceful means to send troops into the country.
In a devastating set of conclusions, Sir John found Blair presented the case for war with 'a certainty which was not justified' based on 'flawed' intelligence about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
It also said Blair had 'overestimated' his ability to influence US president George W Bush and the way the legal basis was established was branded 'far from satisfactory' and bypassed the UN and undermined the international system.
And Blair was not prepared for the consequences of Iraq War despite 'explicit warnings' as he doggedly pursued an invasion, Sir John's report said.
'Act now, explain later': What Blair told Bush TWO YEARS before Iraq war is revealed in eviscerating Chilcot report into Gulf debacle
Chilcot report 2003 Iraq War heavily criticises Tony Blair over the way he took Britain into the war alongside the US Report found that invasion was based on 'flawed' intelligence about Iraq and was 'not the last resort' at the time
Email sent by Blair to George W Bush hours after September 11 advised him to 'act now and justify later'
Blair as not prepared for the consequences of Iraq War despite 'explicit warnings' and bypassed peace for war
Ex-PM maintains he did not lie and said today her still believed 'it was better to remove Saddam Hussein'
Families of 179 war dead call him 'the world's worst terrorist' and promised to pursue him through the courts
Mr Blair will be very unlikely to face war crime trial in The Hague - but British soldiers could still be prosecuted
By James Tapsfield, Political Editor and Martin Robinson Uk Chief Reporter and Tim Sculthorpe, Deputy Political Editor and Richard Spillett for MailOnline
6 July 2016
Tony Blair's reputation was today lacerated by the Iraq War report as it revealed he told George W Bush they should 'act now, explain later' in a secret memo sent two years before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The former prime minister was also accused of twisting intelligence about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein to justify the war that led to the deaths of 179 British soldiers and left hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead - but Mr Blair still insists he never lied.
After seven years of deliberations, the Chilcot report found that the former prime minister overplayed evidence about the dictator's weaponry and ignored peaceful means to send troops into the country.
In a devastating set of conclusions, Sir John found Blair presented the case for war with 'a certainty which was not justified' based on 'flawed' intelligence about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
It also said Blair had 'overestimated' his ability to influence US president George W Bush and the way the legal basis was established was branded 'far from satisfactory' and bypassed the UN and undermined the international system.
And Blair was not prepared for the consequences of Iraq War despite 'explicit warnings' as he doggedly pursued an invasion, Sir John's report said.
29 secret letters Mr Blair wrote to George W Bush were published for the first time today and in July 2002, eight months before MPs voted to back an invasion, Mr Blair had told the president: 'I will be with you, whatever'.
But after Sir John published his report today Tony Blair said the inquiry proved there 'was no falsification or improper use of Intelligence', 'no deception of Cabinet' and 'no secret commitment to war whether at Crawford Texas in April 2002 or elsewhere'.
Families of the 179 servicemen and women who died in the Iraq War said today they are set to pursue him through the courts and called Mr Blair 'the world's worst terrorist' and slammed him for not 'looking us in the eye' as the report was released.
A grim-faced Tony Blair leaves his London mansion before his part in bringing about the Iraq War was laid bare by Sir John Chilcot today
Judgement day: Sir John Chilcot delivers his speech this morning at the QEII Centre in Westminster on the day his 2.6 million word report is published. Tony Blair, bottom, was heavily criticised over his planning of the war but he still denies he lied
Unveiling his 2.6 million-word report into the UK's most controversial military engagement since the end of the Second World War, Sir John said: 'We have concluded that the UK chose to join the invasion of Iraq before the peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted. Military action at that time was not a last resort.
'We have also concluded that the judgments about the severity of the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction - WMD - were presented with a certainty that was not justified.
'Despite explicit warnings, the consequences of the invasion were under-estimated. The planning and preparations for Iraq after Saddam Hussein were wholly inadequate. The Government failed to achieve its stated objectives.'
Among the main conclusions in the 2.6 million word report are:
There was no imminent threat from Saddam Hussein in March 2003 and Mr Blair took us to war 'before the peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted'. Sir John said: 'Military action at that time was not a last resort.
Mr Blair, his then foreign secretary Jack Straw and the government presented judgements about intelligence on the threat posed by Iraq's WMD with a 'certainty that was not justified'.
Attorney General Lord Goldsmith only agreed that the invasion would be legal based on assurances from Mr Blair that Iraq had committed 'material breaches' of UN resolution 1441. But the inquiry said it was 'unclear' what evidence Mr Blair had for this and branded the process 'far from satisfactory'.
Mr Blair, who has been frequently criticised for his 'sofa government' style, repeatedly failed to involve his whole Cabinet in key decisions.
The inquiry dismissed the ex-PM claims that he could not have known how difficult the post-invasion situation would be.
The government were aware that the US had 'inadequate' plans for stabilising Iraq but had little influence over key decisions such as dismantling Hussein's Ba'ath party and security services.
The Ministry of Defence was slow to respond to the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and delays in providing more heavily armoured patrol vehicles for personnel were 'intolerable'.
The 'most consistent strategic objective' in Iraq was to reduce the number of troops it had deployed there, particularly after operations in Afghanistan became more intense.
One symptom of the failures was that UK forces had to strike a 'humiliating' deal with militia in Basra to swap prisoners in return for an end to deadly attacks on soldiers.
Tony Blair has said that his decision to take military action against Saddam Hussain was taken 'in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country'.
Sir John said Mr Blair was wrong to claim that the risks of instability following the invasion could not have been known in advance.
Although he made no judgment on whether military action was legal, Sir John's seven-year inquiry found that Attorney General Lord Goldsmith's decision that there was a legal basis for UK involvement in the US-led invasion was taken in a way which was 'far from satisfactory'.
Previously unseen letters sent from Mr Blair to Mr Bush also show that nearly two years before the invasion the PM was suggesting they needed to 'act now and explain and justify later' to stop the spread of WMD.
Delivering the report's damning findings – which will inevitably spark renewed calls for action against Mr Blair - Sir John Chilcot said: 'The evidence is there for all to see. It is an account of an intervention which went badly wrong, with consequences to this day.'
Announcing the dramatic conclusions today, Sir John said: 'More than 200 British citizens dies as a result of the conflict in Iraq. Many more were injured. This has meant deep anguish for many families, including those who are here today.
'The invasion and instability in Iraq had, by July 2009, also resulted in the deaths of at least 150,000 Iraqis – and probably many more – most of them civilians. More than a million people were displaced.'
Fighting back Tony Blair said that his decision to take military action against Saddam Hussain was taken 'in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country'.
He also insisted it was still 'better to remove Saddam Hussein' than allow the tyrant to continue in power, adding the inquiry proved there 'was no falsification or improper use of Intelligence', 'no deception of Cabinet' and 'no secret commitment to war whether at Crawford Texas in April 2002 or elsewhere'.
Families wanted to know if Tony Blair did secretly agree to invade Iraq in 2002 (pictured together at Camp David that year) and then build a case towards war
Anger: Protestors unfurled a giant banner outside Tony Blair's central London home today calling for him to face a criminal trial
The inquiry examined the so-called notorious dossier published by the government on September 24, 2002, as Mr Blair started to lay the ground for a potential move on Iraq.
It claimed that Hussein's regime had the ability to launch a WMD strike within 45 minutes.
Mr Blair told the House of Commons the same day that the threat from the dictator was severe and would become a reality at some point in the future.
But Sir John said: 'The judgements about Iraq's capabilities in that statement, and in the dossier published the same day, were presented with a certainty that was not justified.'
The report criticised the 'ingrained belief' among UK policy formers and intelligence services that Iraq had retained WMD.
It said the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) had agreed the content of the dossier itself, and there was 'no evidence' that evidence was improperly included or that Downing Street influenced the text.
But the JIC was rebuked for not ensuring that its real assessment – that it had not been established beyond doubt that Hussein's regime was still producing WMD – was not clear.
And the report said the way a foreword written by Mr Blair had been attached to the dossier would have given MPs and the public a different impression.
'In the foreword, Mr Blair stated that he believed the 'assessed intelligence' had 'established beyond doubt' that Saddam Hussein had 'continued to produce chemical and biological weapons, that he continues in his efforts to develop nuclear weapons and that he had been able to extend the range of his ballistic missile programme'.'
Protests: Several demonstrators were wearing Tony Blair masks and painted blood on their hands as they called for Mr Blair to be prosecuted
Movement: More than a million people marched in 2003 to protest against the war and many returned to central London today (above) to repeat their concerns about what happened
Uproar: Protesters have returned to Whitehall to protest over the war afresh today after the report slammed the way it was planned
Under pressure: Mr Blair, pictured with troops in Iraq in 2003, has been accused of 'misleading Parliament and the public' in taking the UK into the Iraq War and is facing calls for criminal action
The report went on: 'The Inquiry is not questioning Mr Blair's belief, which he consistently reiterated in his evidence to the Inquiry, or his legitimate role in advocating Government policy.
'But the deliberate selection of a formulation which grounded the statement in what Mr Blair believed rather than in the judgements which the JIC had actually reached in its assessment of the intelligence, indicates a distinction between his beliefs and the JIC's actual judgements…
'The assessed intelligence at the time had not established beyond doubt that Saddam Hussein had continued to produce chemical and biological weapons.'
While stressing that it did not have a remit to decide whether the invasion had been legal, the inquiry panel said they had 'concluded that the circumstances in which it was decided that there was a legal basis for UK military action were far from satisfactory'.
In mid-January 2003 Lord Goldsmith, the government's chief law officer, told Mr Blair that a further Security Council resolution would be needed to provide a legal basis for action.
By the end of February the peer had told Mr Blair that although a second resolution would be preferable, a 'reasonable case' could be made under the existing UNSC 1441.
He put that advice in writing in on March 7.
However, after the military and civil service asked for more clarity he then stated that the 'better view' was that the legal basis was secure.
Peter Brierley, top, whose son Lance Corporal Shaun Brierley was one of the first soldiers to be killed in the conflict, claimed Mr Blair 'ordered young men and women to be killed on the basis of a lie'
'But the deliberate selection of a formulation which grounded the statement in what Mr Blair believed rather than in the judgements which the JIC had actually reached in its assessment of the intelligence, indicates a distinction between his beliefs and the JIC's actual judgements…
'The assessed intelligence at the time had not established beyond doubt that Saddam Hussein had continued to produce chemical and biological weapons.'
While stressing that it did not have a remit to decide whether the invasion had been legal, the inquiry panel said they had 'concluded that the circumstances in which it was decided that there was a legal basis for UK military action were far from satisfactory'.
In mid-January 2003 Lord Goldsmith, the government's chief law officer, told Mr Blair that a further Security Council resolution would be needed to provide a legal basis for action.
By the end of February the peer had told Mr Blair that although a second resolution would be preferable, a 'reasonable case' could be made under the existing UNSC 1441.
He put that advice in writing in on March 7.
However, after the military and civil service asked for more clarity he then stated that the 'better view' was that the legal basis was secure.
Peter Brierley, top, whose son Lance Corporal Shaun Brierley was one of the first soldiers to be killed in the conflict, claimed Mr Blair 'ordered young men and women to be killed on the basis of a lie'
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