Iraq War Inquiry: Final Hearing 2 February 2011

Britain's Iraq war inquiry to hold final hearing

1 February 2011 - Former British foreign minister Jack Straw was on Wednesday to give evidence to the country's Iraq war inquiry for the third time as the panel prepared to hold its final public hearing.

Straw, who was foreign minister when Britain decided to join the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, was expected to be quizzed over the legal basis for the intervention.

At previous hearings, Straw said that his decision to support the war had been the most "difficult decision" of his career, and had been taken "very reluctantly."

The former minister also told the inquiry that he ignored the views of many senior Foreign Office lawyers, who told him the war was illegal, and followed the advice of the government's then chief legal advisor, Peter Goldsmith. {continued}

Straw sent MI6 Iraq paper to Blair

2 February 2011 - Jack Straw recommended that Tony Blair should read an MI6 paper setting out a "route map for regime change" in Iraq, the inquiry into the war has heard.

The former foreign secretary said the December 2001 briefing by a senior officer from Britain's overseas intelligence agency was "very perceptive" and sent a copy to 10 Downing Street.

Mr Straw was questioned about why he promoted this document despite his frequently stated position that regime change in Baghdad was not UK policy and could not be a legal justification for attacking Iraq.

He told the inquiry: "As secretary of state I would have read these papers late at night and scribbled on them, 'these are very perceptive, make sure Number 10 see them'.

"That would have been translated into an official note from my private secretary. That does not mean I've endorsed the policy within those papers." {continued}