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The Report of the Iraq Inquiry
is now known about these programmes; as part of this work, to investigate the
accuracy of intelligence on Iraqi WMD up to March 2003, and to examine any
discrepancies between the intelligence gathered, evaluated and used by the
Government before the conflict, and between that intelligence and what has been
discovered by the Iraq Survey Group since the end of the conflict; and to make
recommendations to the Prime Minister for the future on the gathering, evaluation
and use of intelligence on WMD, in the light of the difficulties of operating in
countries of concern.”
666.  Mr Straw explained that, while the ISC, FAC and Hutton inquiries had been
under way:
“… three proposals were put before the House in June, July and late October on
Opposition motions calling for wider inquiries into aspects of the Government’s
handling of events in the run-up to the Iraq war. At the time, the Government resisted
those calls, including on the ground that the inquiries already under way should be
allowed to complete their work. Later, both the Prime Minister and I also referred to
the continuing activities of the Iraq Survey Group.
“Over the past week, we have seen the publication of the Hutton Report and
the evidence of Dr David Kay, former head of the Iraq Survey Group, to a US
Congressional Committee. It has also emerged that the Iraq Survey Group may take
longer to produce a final report than we had all originally envisaged. All that has led
the Government now to judge that it is appropriate to establish this new inquiry of
Privy Councillors.”
667.  Mr Blair and President Bush discussed WMD on 4 February.369 Mr Blair said he
thought the public needed to be educated on the nature of intelligence: “not clear facts,
but patterns of information on which leaders had to make a judgement”.
Mr Tenet’s speech to Georgetown University, 5 February 2004
668.  Mr Tenet used a speech at Georgetown University on 5 February to set out his
position on Iraqi WMD and the October 2002 NIE.370
669.  The UK was invited to comment on a draft copy on 4 February.371
369  Letter Cannon to Adams, 4 February 2004, ‘Prime Minister’s Video-Conference with President Bush,
4 February’.
370  Central Intelligence Agency, 5 February 2004, Remarks as prepared for delivery by Director of Central
Intelligence George J. Tenet at Georgetown University, 5 February 2004: Iraq and Weapons of Mass
Destruction.
371  Manuscript comment Scarlett to Rycroft, 4 February 2004, on Speech (draft), Tenet, 3 February 2004,
‘Remarks for the Director of Central Intelligence George J Tenet at Georgetown University,
February 5, 2004’.
556
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