catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
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 Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 12:11 pm Post subject: Britain to launch Iraq war inquiry |
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Article from: Agence France-Presse
A FULL inquiry into the war in Iraq will be launched soon after British troops pull out later this year, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said today.
Mr Miliband confirmed in the House of Commons that a probe would be set up as soon as it was feasible.
Britain's 4100 troops in Iraq are due to complete their mission by May 31, with the pullout set to be completed by July 31. Some 400 troops are due to remain in a non-combat role, largely naval training.
During a debate on a full independent inquiry, Conservative opposition politician Edward Leigh said: "So he can give a commitment, then, can he, that we will set up this inquiry, as soon as practicable after the 31 of July?"
Mr Miliband replied simply: "Yes."
The British government has repeatedly rejected calls for a full inquiry to be held while troops are still on operational duty in Iraq, saying it would be inappropriate.
The inquiry will likely examine the circumstances leading up to Britain's decision to join the US-led invasion in March 2003, and its aftermath.
Anti-war campaigners have been pressing the government for years to hold such an inquiry.
Mr Miliband said there were "important lessons to be learnt" from the conflict, but "the time to focus on an official inquiry is when the troops come home to safety, not when they are still exposed to danger in Iraq".
He said: "It should indeed be the sort of comprehensive look at the planning and the conduct of the war as well as the conduct of the peace-building afterwards."
But he indicated the inquiry would be held in private, something opposed by many politicians.
And July 31 falls shortly after the House rises for its summer recess, meaning the process could not begin until October at the very earliest.
An inquiry has the potential to embarrass the centre-left Labour Party government.
Downing Street declined to comment, other than to say the timing would depend on factors such as ongoing operations in Iraq and the availability of resources for an investigation.
William Hague, foreign affairs spokesman for the main opposition Conservatives, said: "Ministers may delay in an effort to reduce the force and relevance of what they know must come, but in the end we will learn the necessary lessons and we will learn from what went wrong in the functioning of the machinery of government itself."
The government said last month that it would veto publication of minutes from ministerial discussions about the legality of the 2003 invasion, immediately drawing accusations of a cover-up.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has acknowledged that "mistakes" were made in the planning of post-war Iraq.
The campaign group Military Families Against the War today denounced a lack of transparency over the war in a letter to Mr Brown.
"We cannot accept that our loved ones died deceived and there has been no accountability for that misleading deceit.
"An inquiry would help to ensure this unfortunate episode in British history which led to such an ill-informed campaign will never be allowed to happen again, with lessons being learned from such an inquiry."
Britain's troops in Iraq are largely based outside the oil port city of Basra, the economic hub of the south.
A total of 179 British troops have died during the war in Iraq.
During the Commons debate, Labour politician Paul Flynn read out the names of those killed, with the House falling silent to listen for a full seven minutes.
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