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Legal basis for UK’s 2003 Iraq invasion "far from satisfactory" — inquiry

The chairman of the inquiry into the conflict presents the report that took seven years to prepare

LONDON, July 6. /TASS/. The legal basis for Britain’s decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003 was "far from satisfactory," chairman of the inquiry into the conflict John Chilcot said on Wednesday.

"We have, however, concluded that the circumstances in which it was decided that there was a legal basis for military action were far from satisfactory," Chilcot said presenting the report that took seven years to prepare.

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was warned about the threat of increased al-Qaeda activity as a result of Iraq invasion in 2003, Chilcot said.

"Mr Blair had been advised that an invasion of Iraq was expected to increase the threat to the UK and UK interests from Al Qaida and its affiliates," Chilcot said.

The legal basis for Britain’s decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003 was "far from satisfactory," he continued. "We have, however, concluded that the circumstances in which it was decided that there was a legal basis for military action were far from satisfactory," Chilcot noted.

"It is now clear that policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments. They were not challenged, and they should have been," he stressed.

"Despite explicit warnings, the consequences of the invasion were underestimated," he continued. "We have also concluded that the judgements about the severity of the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction - WMD - were presented with a certainty that was not justified," he said.