4.4  |  The search for WMD

“So we need:

To put ourselves in the right place on accepting some intelligence may have been

wrong and letting that be looked into.

To get across what Kay and the ISG are actually saying.

To reassert the importance of the WMD question.”

649.  On 1 February, US media reported that President Bush would shortly be

announcing “a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate apparent flaws in

intelligence used to justify the Iraq war”.354

650.  Mr Straw spoke to Secretary Powell on 1 February.355 Secretary Powell explained

that the US planned to make an announcement about the independent commission,

probably on 2 February. Mr Straw briefed Secretary Powell on the discussion in the UK.

It would be important, if possible, to make announcements at the same time.

651.  Following a discussion with Dr Rice that evening, Sir Nigel Sheinwald wrote to

Mr Geoffrey Adams, Mr Straw’s Principal Private Secretary, reporting that Mr Blair,

Mr Straw and others had been “reflecting on how to handle the issue of intelligence on

Iraqi and other WMD in the light of developing US plans”.356 Mr Blair would be chairing a

meeting the next morning to discuss the way forward.

652.  The following day, President Bush confirmed that he would make an

announcement once the details had been agreed.357

653.  The Executive Order establishing a “Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities

of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction” was published on

6 February.358 It stated that the Commission should:

“… assess whether the Intelligence Community is sufficiently authorized, organized,

equipped, trained, and resourced to identify and warn in a timely manner of, and

support United States Government efforts to respond to, the development and

transfer of knowledge, expertise, technologies, materials, and resources associated

with the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, related means of delivery,

and other related threats of the 21st century and their employment by foreign

powers …”

354  The Washington Post, 1 February 2004, Bush to Announce Iraq Intelligence Probe This Week.

355  Letter Straw to Sheinwald, 2 February 2004, ‘Conversations with US Secretary of State, 30 January

and 1 February’.

356  Letter Sheinwald to Adams, 1 February 2004, ‘Iraq and WMD: Conversation with US National Security

Adviser’.

357  The White House, 2 February 2004, Press Briefing by Scott McLellan.

358  The White House, 6 February 2004, Executive Order: Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of

the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction.

553