Blair must produce evidence over Iraq

MP LAYS BLAME FOR GOVERNMENT'S TROUBLES OVER IRAQ ON "MUDDLED THINKING"

Hugh Robertson today laid the blame for many of the government's current troubles over Iraq on muddled thinking, caused by political expediency, in the period preceding the conflict. He also called on the Prime Minister to produce the evidence to support his claims over weapons of mass destruction. Hugh saw active service during the 1991 Gulf War as Adjutant of a main battle tank regiment.

He said: "Military operations thrive on a single, clear aim. As a result of the government's muddled thinking, military commanders were unable to prioritise their own tasks which has contributed to the inability to find WMD or to protect valuable evidence in the ministries in Baghdad.

"One of the main problems with the government's handling of the recent conflict is that it kept changing its war aim from weapons of mass destruction to international terrorism to regime change to try and win short term political favour."

When it came to the vote, in my case, I supported the government on the basis that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction which, in the hands of terrorists, would pose a direct threat to the United Kingdom."

In doing so, I accepted that the intelligence to support this was highly sensitive and thus could not be revealed. I, therefore, had to take the Prime Minister on trust and presumed that he would not mislead MPs on so fundamental an issue."

If he has either misled MPs, or embellished the evidence to suit his case, it would be a matter of the utmost severity."An inquiry is now clearly needed to clear the air."