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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Blair expected to announce Iraq inquiry decision

British Prime Minister Tony Blair isexpected to announce Tuesday an independent inquiry into intelligence used to justify his decision to go to war with Iraq.


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British Prime Minister Tony Blair isexpected to announce Tuesday an independent inquiry into intelligence used to justify his decision to go to war with Iraq.

Downing Street said the Commons Speaker had decided it would be"more appropriate" for Blair to make the announcement during his appearance Tuesday before the parliamentary liaison committee.

The opposition Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both called Monday for an inquiry to be held into apparent prewar intelligencefailings. US President George Bush also announced Monday he is to launch a similar probe.

A Downing Street spokesman declined to say what Blair would be announcing, though speculation suggested the prime minister might establish a committee of both Houses of Parliament, with an independent chairman.

Earlier, Blair's official spokesman said there was a need to see how the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq compares with the intelligence ahead of the war.

Pressure has been growing on both sides of the Atlantic since David Kay, the man heading the weapons hunt, quit his post, sayingintelligence suggesting former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons was wrong.

Polls issued by two British Sunday newspapers also showed a majority of Britons demand an independent public inquiry into the government's evidence for the war with Iraq.





Source: Xinhua


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