Dossier spy chief: No intention to mislead
Former MI6 chief tells Iraq inquiry there was no conscious intention to manipulate details of 'dodgy dossier'
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By Adam Leveridge. |  |
Tuesday, 08, Dec 2009 05:25
By Richard James, Matthew Champion and Alex Plough.
The main author of the infamous 'dodgy dossier' which the government used as grounds for invading Iraq has denied a "conscious intention to manipulate" its details.
Sir John Scarlett, head of the joint intelligence committee in the run-up to the invasion and latterly director general of MI6, has previously admitted that the claim Iraq could use weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes referred to battlefield munitions and not long-range missiles.
Appearing before the Chilcot inquiry in central London today Sir John again insisted there had been no deliberate deception.
"There was no conscious intention to manipulate the language or obfuscate to create a misunderstanding to what they referred to," he said, adding that he was under no pressure to firm up the language of the dossier.
Sir John, who stepped down from MI6 this year, also said the dossier's foreword, which saw Tony Blair say it was "beyond doubt" that Saddam Hussein had chemical and biological weapons, was "quite separate" from intelligence.
"The foreword was overtly a political statement signed by the prime minister," he continued.
"It was his comments and wording throughout."
The dossier in question was a source of contention in the months after the war, especially between the BBC and the government, culminating in the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly.
On Tuesday, hours before Sir John spoke to Sir John Chilcot's inquiry, Conservative MP Adam Holloway published a report saying the 45-minute claim came from an Iraqi taxi driver.
The inquiry will continue to receive evidence in public into the new year culminating with an appearance by the former prime minister Tony Blair.
However, Sir John Chilcot will crucially not publish the findings of his inquiry until after the coming general election, perhaps even as late as 2011.