Inquiry

Long-awaited British inquiry into Iraq War brings scathing critique of Blair

 A sweeping, multi-year inquiry into Britain’s role in the Iraq War delivered a scathing assessment Wednesday, with investigators blaming the country’s political, military and intelligence leadership for a conflict that could have been avoided and that ended “a very long way from success.”

The findings by a team of British investigators are the culmination of seven years of work in which they were given nearly unfettered access to British documents and witnesses, including memos sent to the White House by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In wide-ranging comments after the report’s release, Blair said “not a single day” passes without him thinking over the Iraq War decisions. Yet he stood firm, saying he does not regret the path taken to bring down Saddam Hussein.

The report spans a breathtaking 2.6 million words — five times longer than “War and Peace” — and addresses nearly every facet of Britain’s decision to jump into the war alongside its American allies in 2003, as well as Britain’s role in Iraq for the next six years.