SECRET E-MAILS ON 'DODGY DOSSIER' INCREASE NEED FOR IRAQ INQUIRY.

SECRET E-MAILS ON 'DODGY DOSSIER' INCREASE NEED FOR IRAQ INQUIRY.

ROBERTSON PUSHES PM TO ANNOUNCE INQUIRY DATE.

SNP Defence spokesperson and Westminster leader, Angus Robertson MP, has called on the UK government to immediately announce the starting date of an independent inquiry into the Iraq war after previously secret e-mails revealed a systematic and deliberate attempt to embellish the UK government's ‘dodgy’ dossier on weapons of mass destruction.

The documents show that British intelligence officers were concerned that the dossier suggested Saddam Hussein's alleged WMD programme was more advanced than they actually believed was the case.

They complained of "iffy drafting" and mocked the claims made about Iraq's nuclear programme, suggesting it was the work of "Dr Frankenstein".

Commenting Mr Robertson said:

"The case for war in Iraq is now totally exposed as a lie. Gordon Brown, who supported the war, must immediately announce the starting date of an independent inquiry.

”The public feels it was lied to about the reasons for going to war in Iraq, and those responsible must not be allowed to hide from an inquiry.

”We must learn the lessons from the worst UK Foreign policy decision in living memory. Our brave troops have had to pay the price of a conflict forced by Tony Blair and paid for by Gordon Brown.

”Those responsible have never answered the most fundamental questions about why we were led into this war.

“The claim that the war was about weapons of mass destruction was a lie, a mere cover story unsupported by the facts, which has cost the lives of thousands of civilians and hundreds of our brave soldiers.”