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Hague: Time has come for inquiry into conflict
Joe Murphy, Political Editor17.12.08
DEMANDS grew today for a full independent inquiry into the causes and conduct of the Iraq war.
Downing Street said it could not happen until after the withdrawal in July, but refused to give any commitment.
In the Commons, shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: "The Government has delayed for years the establishment of an inquiry and now the learning of lessons that may be relevant to Afghanistan and elsewhere can no longer be delayed."
Commons leader Harriet Harman, standing in for Gordon Brown, denied there was a delay. "We have made clear that while our troops are still in Iraq, which they are, doing their duties, that we will not have a full inquiry on how they went in until after they return. There is no delay." The Prime Minister has said in the past that there will be an inquiry "when the time is right" but there has been no indication of whether it will be in public or who would head it.
No10 said there had already been four inquiries into aspects of the war, two by select committees, one by Lord Hutton into the David Kelly tragedy and another by Lord Butler into the use of intelligence. Asked when the Government would hold a full inquiry, Mr Brown's spokesman said it would happen when the "time is right".
A Stop the War Coalition spokesman said: "An estimated one million Iraqis have lost their lives in this war, 136 British soldiers have died and thousands of others have been maimed and injured in a conflict which was based on lies and deception. Those who launched it should be brought to account."
Reader views (3)
It smells like this poor excuse for a government has deliberately delayed the departure of the the troops from Iraq, so as to impede the start of an inquiry.
Since 2001 and for every year after the troops have been going to leave Iraq the following year, but this has never materialized.
Flash Gordon, who signed the cheques for this war, must go and go now.
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hants
Just when exactly will be the time be right Mr Brown? Enough innocent people have lost their lives in this fruitless and unnecessary war - the perpetrators on all sides must be held to account for this exercise in what? Wasn't democracy once mentioned as a reason for this debacle? Let democracy work its course and lay open to the democratic world the real facts behind your Government's decision on this one. We are less safe in out homeland now than we were when this whole sorry episode was undertaken against the better judgement of the International community and the majority of reasoned people in this country.
Five years on we hear regularly from Mr Bin Laden, yet our own elected leader, Mr Blair (who still holds the democratic mandate to run this country's government), appears to have disappeared into his own safe bolt-hole. Just who is who's poodle these days?
Answers please...
- Mike, South Wales
A public enquiry, without Nulabor laying down the scope, never in a month of Sundays !
- Brian Hughes, North Wales
