Tories call for inquiry into Iraq'in next six months'

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Shadow foreign secretary William Hague stressed the review was needed to learn lessons for the conflict in Afghanistan, as well as to restore confidence in the Government after the failures in Iraq.

He said: "It's very important to start an inquiry by the end of 2007 into events that happened back in 2003."

He warned that memories will fade and emails "disappear" if an inquiry is further delayed.

Rejecting concerns that an inquiry should not begin while British troops are still in Iraq, he said that reviews were carried out into conflicts during the First and Second World Wars.

Mr Hague also warned of a "catastrophe" in Iraq if the US troop surge fails and the Baghdad government is unable to make progress on key issues including a programme of reconciliation to unite all sections of the country.

He went on to brand the "de-Baathi-fication" of the police force, army and civil service as a "calamitous decision".

Under the Tory proposals, ministers, generals and senior civil servants would give evidence at hearings similar to the Franks Inquiry into the Falklands conflict. Ministers have signalled that such a review may be held but the timing is still unclear.