Chilcot and his team confirm they have no plans to abandon inquiry into Iraq war
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Version 0 of 1. Sir John Chilcot and his team have no plans to abandon their examination of the war in Iraq, they insisted, after The Independent revealed the inquiry panel had discussed resigning en masse in protest against the pressure it has been put under to speed up publication. In a rare public statement, the inquiry panellists said they “understand” the need for David Cameron, Parliament and the public to see their report finished “as soon as possible.” The commitment from the inquiry panellists – Sir John Chilcot plus Sir Lawrence Freedman, Sir Roderic Lyne, and Baroness Prashar – to finish their report comes amid continuing attacks on their reputations. Mr Cameron and ministers including the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon have urged Sir John to fast-track publication, while leading Tory MPs have portrayed the delay as “unacceptable”. On 20 August, The Independent published comments from sources close to Sir John. They complained that the inquiry team was being portrayed as “bumbling incompetents”. The spate of recent attacks on the inquiry from within Britain’s political Establishment was described by one source as a “nasty hatchet job” aiming to discredit the inquiry members and undermine the authority of their work. Sources close to the inquiry said Sir John and his panel, following pressure to fast-track their work and effectively publish an incomplete report, had briefly discussed, but quickly rejected, a group resignation. The statement from Andrew Francis, the inquiry’s spokesman, did not deny the previous resignation discussions, but insisted the panel was committed to publishing the report. It said: “No one is planning on resigning. Sir John and his colleagues take the responsibility they were given as an independent inquiry extremely seriously, and understand the need for the Government, Parliament and the public to see their report as soon as possible.” Last night a government spokesman said “This is an independent inquiry and as such publication and timing are a matter for Sir John and his team. “The Government’s position remains absolutely clear. Once Maxwellisation [the requirement to allow those criticised the chance to offer their side of events] is completed, the Prime Minister expects to receive an update from Sir John on the timescale for the urgent completion of this inquiry.” Lord Lester, a leading human rights barrister and Liberal Democrat politician, became the latest figure to attack the inquiry. In a letter to The Times, the peer said the inquiry lacked legal expertise. He said the “inordinate delay” in completing the task ordered by Gordon Brown in 2009 meant panellists risked being “trapped by legalism” and were victims of “justice done to death”. |