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| Iraq Inquiry: Mother's hope for Chilcot report 'truth' | Iraq Inquiry: Mother's hope for Chilcot report 'truth' |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The mother of a Scottish serviceman killed in Iraq has said she hopes the Chilcot report will reveal the "truth" of why Britain invaded Iraq in 2003. | The mother of a Scottish serviceman killed in Iraq has said she hopes the Chilcot report will reveal the "truth" of why Britain invaded Iraq in 2003. |
| Rose Gentle's son Gordon was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Basra in June 2004. | Rose Gentle's son Gordon was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Basra in June 2004. |
| She campaigned against the Iraq War and to secure an independent inquiry into the lawfulness of the conflict. | She campaigned against the Iraq War and to secure an independent inquiry into the lawfulness of the conflict. |
| Sir John Chilcot will deliver his verdict on the controversial invasion later. | Sir John Chilcot will deliver his verdict on the controversial invasion later. |
| It is 13 years since British troops crossed into Iraq on 20 March 2003, and seven years after the inquiry began its work. | |
| The UK lost 179 servicemen and women during the campaign that followed the invasion, with 19 of them from Scotland. | The UK lost 179 servicemen and women during the campaign that followed the invasion, with 19 of them from Scotland. |
| Their families will be briefed in advance of the publication of the 12-volume, 2.6 million-word report. | Their families will be briefed in advance of the publication of the 12-volume, 2.6 million-word report. |
| Ms Gentle, from Glasgow, told BBC Scotland she wanted the inquiry to get to the "truth" of why Britain troops were sent to Iraq, but said she did not expect the report to explain the reasons fully. | Ms Gentle, from Glasgow, told BBC Scotland she wanted the inquiry to get to the "truth" of why Britain troops were sent to Iraq, but said she did not expect the report to explain the reasons fully. |
| "I think a lot of questions will go unanswered. I don't think we'll get the full report, I think a lot will be taken out," she said. | "I think a lot of questions will go unanswered. I don't think we'll get the full report, I think a lot will be taken out," she said. |
| Ms Gentle has long blamed Tony Blair for her son's death. The former prime minister appeared before the inquiry twice. | Ms Gentle has long blamed Tony Blair for her son's death. The former prime minister appeared before the inquiry twice. |
| She added: "If it's pointing the finger at him [Mr Blair] I don't think I'll let it go. Why should he walk away after the death of all those servicemen? When it comes to Gordon, I'll have plenty of fight." | She added: "If it's pointing the finger at him [Mr Blair] I don't think I'll let it go. Why should he walk away after the death of all those servicemen? When it comes to Gordon, I'll have plenty of fight." |
| The inquiry was set up in 2009 by then prime minister Gordon Brown to examine the lead-up to the invasion, from the summer of 2001, up until the withdrawal of the main body of British troops. | The inquiry was set up in 2009 by then prime minister Gordon Brown to examine the lead-up to the invasion, from the summer of 2001, up until the withdrawal of the main body of British troops. |
| The report's long-awaited publication follows 130 sessions of oral evidence, with the testimony of more than 150 witnesses. | The report's long-awaited publication follows 130 sessions of oral evidence, with the testimony of more than 150 witnesses. |
| But Sir John has said from the outset he would not rule on whether the invasion in 2003 was legal in terms of international law, pledging to provide a "full and insightful" account of the decision-making process. | But Sir John has said from the outset he would not rule on whether the invasion in 2003 was legal in terms of international law, pledging to provide a "full and insightful" account of the decision-making process. |
| General Sir Michael Rose, who commanded British troops in Bosnia in the 1990s and who has been advising the families of some of the British dead and injured, said they were preparing to launch a civil action against Mr Blair. | General Sir Michael Rose, who commanded British troops in Bosnia in the 1990s and who has been advising the families of some of the British dead and injured, said they were preparing to launch a civil action against Mr Blair. |
| "He has a personal responsibility as leader of this country to properly assess the intelligence and information that he is using to justify going to war," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One. | "He has a personal responsibility as leader of this country to properly assess the intelligence and information that he is using to justify going to war," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One. |
| "The consequences of that war have been utterly catastrophic. The families want to see justice and if it proves, as a result of reading the report, that there was dereliction of duty, malfeasance in public office, intelligence was negligently handled, then they will take action." | "The consequences of that war have been utterly catastrophic. The families want to see justice and if it proves, as a result of reading the report, that there was dereliction of duty, malfeasance in public office, intelligence was negligently handled, then they will take action." |
| Ahead of publication, the families of many of those who died have also dismissed the inquiry as a whitewash. | Ahead of publication, the families of many of those who died have also dismissed the inquiry as a whitewash. |
| Secret documents | Secret documents |
| Diane Douglas, the mother of Lance Corporal Allan Douglas, from Aberdeen, who was shot while on a routine patrol in 2006, said she knew "100%" the report would be a whitewash that would fail to get to the truth. | Diane Douglas, the mother of Lance Corporal Allan Douglas, from Aberdeen, who was shot while on a routine patrol in 2006, said she knew "100%" the report would be a whitewash that would fail to get to the truth. |
| She told BBC Scotland: "I'd like to see Blair and [US President George W] Bush accused of putting us in to an illegal war. And for Blair to actually apologise for our families being destroyed. | She told BBC Scotland: "I'd like to see Blair and [US President George W] Bush accused of putting us in to an illegal war. And for Blair to actually apologise for our families being destroyed. |
| "One hundred and seventy nine families have been destroyed because they went to Iraq. And to this day, Iraq is actually worse than it was 10 years ago." | "One hundred and seventy nine families have been destroyed because they went to Iraq. And to this day, Iraq is actually worse than it was 10 years ago." |
| Ms Douglas, whose son was 22 when he was killed, added: "Allan didn't want to go to Iraq. He joined the army, he knew he'd have to go somewhere. But we wanted a career and the likes of Blair ended it, very short." | Ms Douglas, whose son was 22 when he was killed, added: "Allan didn't want to go to Iraq. He joined the army, he knew he'd have to go somewhere. But we wanted a career and the likes of Blair ended it, very short." |
| Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said he expected the report to be "damning" for Mr Blair. | |
| Mr Salmond said the inquiry would not provide a verdict, but could provide the evidence and findings on which those responsible for the "lies" which he said had led to the war being held to account. | |
| He added: "Having waited so many years for answers it would be a disgrace if this report were to be another establishment whitewash in the long litany of British cover ups from Suez onwards. | |
| "I want to reassure the families of those who died, and everyone living with the consequences of this conflict, that there is renewed cross-party determination to ensure Mr Blair and all those responsible for the lies and failures are held to account." | |
| Period of delay | |
| Sir John had originally hoped the report would be ready within two years of starting work in 2009, but it has since been hit by a series of delays. | Sir John had originally hoped the report would be ready within two years of starting work in 2009, but it has since been hit by a series of delays. |
| The most serious has been wrangling between the inquiry and the Cabinet Office over the de-classification of hundreds of official documents - most notably communications between Mr Blair and President Bush. | The most serious has been wrangling between the inquiry and the Cabinet Office over the de-classification of hundreds of official documents - most notably communications between Mr Blair and President Bush. |
| That was followed by a further period of delay while the inquiry carried out the so-called Maxwellisation process - allowing individuals facing criticism the chance to comment before the report was finalised. | That was followed by a further period of delay while the inquiry carried out the so-called Maxwellisation process - allowing individuals facing criticism the chance to comment before the report was finalised. |
| Sir John is due to make a statement before midday. | Sir John is due to make a statement before midday. |