The Prime Minister’s case for war was supposedly based on evidence that Saddam Hussein had chemical and...">
Spy Chiefs 'Retract Wmd Intelligence'
By James Lyons, Political Correspondent, PA News
Spy chiefs have retracted the intelligence behind Tony Blair’s claim that Iraq posed a “current and serious” threat, it was reported tonight.
The Prime Minister’s case for war was supposedly based on evidence that Saddam Hussein had chemical and biological weapons stockpiles and was trying trying to produce more.
But MI6 has since withdrawn the assessment underpinning that case, a senior intelligence source has told BBC1’s Panorama.
The rare step amounts to an admission that it was fundamentally unreliable, according to The Observer which reveals details of the interview.
Mr Blair has already admitted that Iraqi WMD may never be found ahead of Lord Butler’s report on intelligence failings.
However, the PM insisted it would have been wrong to suggest that Saddam did not pose a WMD threat.
Now he will face questions about why he did not give ground earlier ahead of the Butler report on Wednesday.
The claim that the intelligence has been withdrawn comes from a single, anonymous intelligence source but meets new BBC guidelines introduced in the wake of the Hutton report.
And former senior figures in the secret services have gone on the record with their criticisms of Mr Blair in the BBC1 Panorama programme, screened 10.15pm Sunday.
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