Iraq inquiry: Chilcot promises 'no whitewash'
Updated on 23 November 2009
On the eve of the first public hearings, inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot pledges to produce a "fair and insightful" report into Britain's involvement in the war in Iraq.
The former civil servant is to head a long awaited inquiry into the decision process which took Britain to war in Iraq.
Sir John said he and his team would not shrink from making criticisms of individuals or organisations and that his job was to "write the narrative in order to learn the lessons for the future."
But at the same time he stressed the inquiry was not a court of law set up to determine issues of guilt and innocence.
Witnesses such as military figures and diplomats will begin giving evidence tomorrow. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and other senior government ministers are due to attend the inquiry early next year.
It was the final withdrawal of the last main body of British troops earlier this year which finally cleared the way for Gordon Brown to appoint the inquiry his predecessor had for so long resisted.
Sir John said he and his four fellow inquiry members were not going into it with a "preconceived set of ten main issues", but would instead allow themes to emerge through the course of the proceedings.
Nevertheless, having been working their way through an "absolute mountain range" of evidence, as well as meeting the families of most of the 179 British service personnel who lost their lives in the conflict, some of the main areas were already clear.
Sir John acknowledged that for many people the overriding questions will be whether Britain was right to go to war and whether the conflict was legal.
Asked if he could provide the definitive answers, Sir John chose his words carefully. "Definitive is one sense, yes, but not definitive in the sense of a court verdict of legal or illegal. It is much closer to high policy decisions - was this a wise decision, was it well-taken, was it founded on good advice and good information and analysis?" he said.
"International law, where you can't adjudicate it anywhere, is of the same character. So far as we are concerned that is what we have to do. I am quite confident that we can come up with a full and insightful description of the different considerations affecting the legality of the war."
