Saddam’s 45-minute WMD launch claim was included in dossier “for local colour”
By ANIThursday, January 21, 2010
LONDON - An inquiry into Britain’s role in the second Gulf War has been provided with a report that dictator Saddam Hussein’s claims of launching weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes was included to add “local colour”.
Sir David Omand, who was the government’s security and intelligence co-ordinator, said the way the dossier was produced to “make a case” for military action had been a “big mistake”.
He said former prime minister Tony Blair should not have been allowed to state in his foreword to the document that intelligence had shown “beyond doubt” that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Sir David said the 45-minute claim had been seized upon as it was one of the few areas of direct intelligence reporting.
“We didn’t really spot that at the time,” Omand is quoted, as saying.
“My memory is that I didn’t pay that much attention to this bit of it, which was a mistake. I totally failed to spot the potential problem that would arise,” he added. (ANI)
