The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

354. Mr Scarlett also provided briefings for Mr Donald Anderson and Mr Bruce George,

respectively the Chairmen of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs and Defence

Committees.135 Mr Scarlett reported that Mr Anderson had found the imagery used by

Secretary Powell “especially ‘compelling’”.

355. The report of the briefing on 6 February for Mr George stated that the text had

been agreed with the intelligence Agencies.136 Mr George had shown most interest in

Iraq’s policy of concealment and had also asked about its links with Al Qaida. Mr Scarlett

also reported that Mr George was: “… clear that the evidence on WMD holdings and

concealment was ‘sufficiently compelling’ to justify ‘military operations’.”

356. The brief prepared for the Cabinet members drew on the document produced for

briefing the Chairmen of the Select Committees.137

357. The brief for Cabinet members provided substantial additional material on:

• Iraq’s programmes before the 1990-1991 Gulf Conflict;

• the current assessment of Iraq’s capabilities – including its missile capabilities;

• difficulties with securing interviews;

• scenarios for CBW use;

• the risk of terrorism in the event of military action against Iraq.

358. Drawing on the detailed information published in the 24 September dossier, the

brief stated that before the 1990-1991 Gulf Conflict, Iraq:

• had “declared to the UN the production of:

{{2,850 tonnes of mustard gas, 210 tonnes of tabun, 795 tonnes of sarin and

cyclosarin, and 3.9 tonnes of VX

{{19,000 litres of botulinum toxin, 8,500 litres of anthrax, 2,200 litres

of aflatoxin”;

• “was aiming to produce a nuclear warhead with a yield of 20 kilotons”; and

• “had a well developed ballistic missile industry, producing missiles with ranges

up to 650km”.

359. In addition:

• UNSCOM and the IAEA had “destroyed much of the pre-1991 programmes”.

• There were intelligence indications that “planning to reconstitute some of its

programmes began in 1995”.

135 Minute Scarlett to Manning, 7 February 2003, [untitled].

136 Minute Scarlett to Manning, 6 February 2003, ‘Briefing of Bruce George MP, Chairman of the Select

Committee on Defence’.

137 Minute Scarlett to Powell, 18 June 2003, ‘Iraq/FAC: Robin Cook’ attaching Paper, [undated],

‘Iraq – Brief for the Cabinet’.

356