Chilcot report blames Blair, many other officials for Iraq war

Media reports say a long-awaited report on Iraq war is set to blame more senior officials than expected for their role in the conflict.

According to The Guardian, Head of Iraq War Inquiry Sir John Chilcot is “to apportion blame for Britain’s role in Iraq war more widely than has been expected, going well beyond Tony Blair and his inner team.”

One source involved with the inquiry said Blair will be blamed as the main culprit but when the report is published a wide range of officials would also be blamed.

The Guardian wrote the Chilcot inquiry” intends to criticize a much bigger circle of ministers and officials, including Jack Straw, foreign secretary at the time of the Iraq invasion in 2003.”

Other figures to be blamed, according to The Guardian, are as follows: The paper also named Sir Richard Dearlove, then head of MI6, Sir John Scarlett, chairman of the joint intelligence committee, Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, Clare Short, the international development secretary, and senior officials in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Foreign Office and the Cabinet Office.

Over the past few weeks Chilcot has been under pressure to publish the report soon. The inquiry began about six years ago. Though the hearings came to an end in 2011, the publication of the report has been delayed so far.

Prime Minister David Cameron has also expressed frustration last week over the delay in report’s publication.

Many experts cite the very large number of officials facing criticism as one of the reasons behind the delay.

The Guardian says:” As part of the process, every individual to be criticized is sent draft passages giving them an opportunity to comment. Some of those who have received drafts have expressed surprise, having regarded themselves as peripheral to the events leading up to the invasion.”

Now Chilcot is reportedly seeking to make sure all those criticized are given enough opportunity to defend themselves. 

Former Labour cabinet minister Clare Short said the delays in publishing the Chilcot report was mainly due to this fact that the draft is “very poor” and needs to be rewritten. In an immediate reaction, Chilcot defending the process of “Maxwellisation” under which he sends partial drafts to those being criticized, allowing them to respond.

But many experts are skeptical about the validity of the report's content. In an interview with Press TV, London-based activist, Jim Brann from Stop the War Coalition expressed doubt about the report's validity saying it not expected to provide real explanation of the background of the war and that’s what general anti-war activists think.  

He went on further adding the issue of wider range of politicians to be blamed for the war is just aimed at getting the attention of Blair himself to say that many more people are to be blamed and therefore you cannot point the finger on the say way.

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