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Iraq inquiry interrogators fix a date for Tony Blair to face grilling
18 Jan 2010Tony Blair's long-anticipated evidence to the Iraq inquiry will take place a week on Friday, it emerged today.
The former prime minister will face two three-hour sessions with the committee chaired by Sir John Chilcot as he is grilled over his motives and conduct both before and after the US-led invasion in 2003.
As the Blair hearing was confirmed for 29 January, the results of the public ballot for seats at his testimony were also announced.
Given huge public demand for access to the evidence session, the Iraq inquiry decided that a ballot was the only fair way to allocate places.
A third of the 60 seats in the inquiry room at the QEII conference centre have been reserved for families of servicemen and women killed in Iraq.
Their separate ballot results were confirmed today too.
Critics may question why Mr Blair is giving evidence on a Friday, the quietest political days of the week.
But Sir John and his team would reject any accusations of media manipulation and it is likely that the date was set because of Mr Blair's other commitments.
Although the inquiry cannot compel witnesses to appear at certain times, it frequently points out that all those who give evidence have to sign their testimony as wholly truthful.
Today, Mr Blair's former chief of staff Jonathan Powell was giving his own account of the state of Downing Street and its Iraq war policy.
Mr Powell was being quizzed about his role in the infamous Downing Street dossier on Saddam's alleged WMD.
The Hutton inquiry unearthed an email in which Mr Powell asked former communications chief Alastair Campbell: “What will be the headline in the Standard on the day of publication?”
Mr Campbell denied that he ever sent an email response to the question and has said he cannot recall discussing the issue. The Standard's headline “45 minutes from attack” focused on the now-disproved claim that Iraq could deploy WMD within 45 minutes.
Mr Powell also emailed John Scarlett, the then chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, with suggestions for the dossier.
He at one stage pointed out that there was “a bit of problem” in an early draft of the dossier because it suggested that Saddam would only use his chemical and bio-weapons if under attack from the West.
“I think you should redraft the para” he told Mr Scarlett.
Mr Blair's former chief of staff also emailed that the dossier “does nothing to demonstrate a threat, let alone an imminent threat from Saddam Hussein”.
Mr Powell was expected to be questioned about evidence that Mr Blair was told as early as April 2002 that there may be legal problem with “regime change” in Baghdad.
A letter from former foreign secretary Jack Straw revealed that he warned Mr Blair of his concerns.
Reader views (10)
Maybe Tony Blair´s conscience will trouble him to the point where he will feel moved to speak the truth. Maybe pigs will fly too.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 18/01/2010 14:52
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It would be helpful if Mr Blair was reminded that although not under oath he will be expected to speak the truth. An experience that he is not familiar with.
- Simon Ellis, London, 18/01/2010 14:47
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This is the non-event of the year, a complete farce, and a massive joke by the Establishment on the public. This is not a trial. There is no obligation on anyone even to turn up, let alone answer questions. It's just another Iraq inquiry, another pack of lies and spin which is leading, inevitably, to another whitewash.
- Kate, London, 18/01/2010 14:18
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29 jan was picked maybe because of bliars other commitments . hopefully in the not too distant future his commitments may include slopping out .
- Clive, london, 18/01/2010 14:17
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Well I'm to the Right of Genghis Khan, but I respect Mr Blair for having tried to do his best, on the rubbish info available, and without the cosy benefit of hindsight. Now, youall, explain to us what the alternative was, at the time, and who you told authoritatively and in detail.
- Steve, London, England, 18/01/2010 14:01
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Why waste time and money on this enquiry?
Nothing decisive will come of it.
He should be tried as a war criminal and face the consequences.
- Steve, Bexhill, 18/01/2010 13:54
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It would save tax payers millions if they abandoned the Chilcot enquiry and brought Blair and Campbell directly before the War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague. Nothing less will be acceptable to the hundreds of thousands who have lost loved ones as a result of their lies and deceipt. The fact they have both gone on to make money out of their crimes by writing books and public speaking is repugnant.
- R.F.York, Yorks, UK, 18/01/2010 13:33
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I totally agree with Steve (Brentford). The Chilcott enquiry is made up of NuLabour cronies and they treated Campbell as a honoured guest. He spent most of the time shamelessly promoting his book rather than facing forensic "grilling". His Holiness Tony Blair I aka The Smirking Chancer - will ooze and schmooze and show no guilt whatsoever for the tens of thousands of innocent people he has had slaughtered through his misguided policies, hubris and detached social conscience. He will be feted and welcome by his buddies at this toothless "enquiry" and then wipe all away with a quick confession in private before collecting his latest ill gotten gains.
- Ricky, Hackney, London, 18/01/2010 12:18
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Not even lightly sautéed by that spineless lot. Campbell lies outright and there's not the slightest peep of protest.
- A. Cameron, Liege, Belgium, 18/01/2010 11:58
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NO He won't be "grilled" at least not by the Chilcott shower. They have shown themselves to be incapable of/unwilling to "Grill" anyone. Dennis Healy's description of Geoffrey Howe's efforts as "like being savaged by a dead sheep" is a fat more accurate description. Campbell WIPED THE FLOOR with them.
- Steve, Brentford, 18/01/2010 11:00
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