The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

402. Mr Scarlett also discussed the draft with the CIA:

“The WMD section of the 10 September draft was also shown to the US Central

Intelligence Agency (CIA) and they made comments.”196

403. On 11 September, SIS issued a report stating:

• Iraq had accelerated the production of chemical and biological agent;

• it had built further facilities throughout Iraq; and

• Saddam Hussein was determined to maintain his CBW capability.

404. SIS expected to receive additional material through the same source.

405. Reflecting concerns about source protection, the report was given a very

limited distribution to named senior officials.

406. The report did not make clear that SIS was not itself in contact with the

source whom it considered had direct access to Iraq’s programmes.

407. The Butler Report stated:

“One further intelligence report which has been described to us as being significant

was received between the production of the JIC’s Assessment of 9 September and

the publication of the Government’s dossier. This … reported that production of

biological and chemical agent had been accelerated by the Iraqi regime, including

through the building of further facilities throughout Iraq.”197

408. Notes of a telephone discussion between Sir Richard Dearlove and Mr Scarlett

on 11 September recorded that Sir Richard told Mr Scarlett:

• SIS was “on the edge of [a] significant intel breakthrough”. The intelligence

was from a “first contact with BCW phenomenal access”. It could be the “key

to unlock” Iraq’s BCW programme.

• Asked whether the source definitely had “the access”, Sir Richard replied “yes”.

• Sir Richard expected “additional material in 3-4 weeks time”. He mentioned

a “CD with everything in it”.

• Sir Richard believed that it would be too risky to include the material from the

new source [in the dossier]: “The moment we publish Saddam will lock up his

BCW scientists.”

196 Intelligence and Security Committee, Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction – Intelligence and

Assessments, Cm5972, September 2003, paragraph 74.

197 Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction [“The Butler Report”], 14 July 2004, HC 898,

paragraph 305.

190