LABOUR’S CASE OF IRAQ INVASION SHATTERED BY CHILCOT

LABOUR’S CASE OF IRAQ INVASION SHATTERED BY CHILCOT

AFTER ONE WEEK OF EVIDENCE JUSTIFICATION IN TATTERS

‘WE CAN’T BELIEVE A WORD LABOUR SAY’

Highlighting a week of evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry where the UK
Government’s justification for the war in Iraq has been destroyed, SNP
Defence and Westminster Spokesman, Angus Robertson MP, has said ‘no-one
can believe a word Labour say’.

In its first week, the Chilcot inquiry heard evidence from a number of
senior UK diplomats each of whom gave testimony damning the decisions made
by UK Government Ministers.

Wednesday heard the former Foreign Office Director General of Defence and
Intelligence tell the inquiry that UK Ministers had continued to press the
case for invasion based on the weapons of mass destruction claim – after
they had seen a report which suggested that such weapons may have been
"disassembled".

While on Thursday the UK's former ambassador to the US, Sir Christopher
Meyer suggested Tony Blair had discounted a UN intervention in Iraq and
agreed to a military campaign in a closed meeting with President Bush.

A week of damning testimony concluded on Friday when UK ambassador to the
UN in 2003, Sir Jeremy Greenstock questioned the legitimacy of the
intervention given the lack of public and diplomatic support and said the
UK’s policy had been driven by the belief that Iraq had weapons of mass
destruction.

Commenting, SNP Westminster Leader and Defence Spokesperson Angus
Robertson MP said:

“With every day that passes, it becomes all the more apparent why the UK
Government were so keen to have this inquiry in private: every witness is
giving testimony damning the decisions made by UK Government Ministers.

“The UK Labour Government misled the people into the worst foreign policy
disaster in recent history. This week, we also heard they billions of
pounds in secret loans from the taxpayer. Quite simply, no-one can believe
a word Labour say.

“Sir John Chilcot will have to dig deep to uncover the truth about the
decisions which led us into this illegal, illegitimate conflict which cost
so many lives.”