The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

482. Mr Scarlett told the Hutton Inquiry that at the JIC on 18 September:

“The Committee also noted that some new intelligence had come in on nuclear

matters which would need to be incorporated in the draft.

“The Committee raised no particular point – no points of further debate or

contention.”239

483. On 18 September, Mr Scarlett sent Mr Campbell detailed responses to his and

Mr Blair’s comments.240

484. The response to Mr Blair’s comments included:

• The revised restructuring suggested by Mr Blair would have “less impact than

the original”.

• Mr Scarlett had explained “the decision to drop earlier references to an

improvised nuclear device, on which there is no intelligence”.

• No change had been made to the timelines for Iraq to acquire a nuclear weapon

which summarised the JIC position, but one paragraph had been revised to

bring out the judgements more clearly.

• Dual-use products had been listed separately; and the impact was “much

improved”.

• Material on human rights abuses had been added and the issue was given

“a little more prominence” in the Executive Summary.

485. Mr Scarlett also addressed Mr Campbell’s more detailed comments, including that

the language on current concerns and plans had been strengthened and the Summary

brought out the point suggested by Mr Campbell – that Iraq was making progress

despite sanctions and containment.

486. Addressing comments in Mr Campbell’s minute of 17 September, Mr Scarlett told

the Hutton Inquiry:

“… we looked again at what we were saying in the draft about Iraq’s concealment

plans and activities – what the intelligence was saying, and also how we were

expressing the success or otherwise of sanctions and the policy of containment.

“This, of course, was a point that we had been expressly asked to highlight by the

JIC at its meeting of 11 September.

“… [I]ntelligence … was very clear about Iraq’s confidence that it could learn

lessons from its past experience with the inspectors, and pursue effective

concealment plans.”241

239 The Hutton Inquiry, public hearing, 23 September 2003, page 88.

240 Minute Scarlett to Campbell, 18 September 2002, ‘Iraq: Weapons of Mass Destruction’.

241 The Hutton Inquiry, public hearing, 23 September 2003, pages 94-95.

204