 Many UK politicians criticised Tony Blair's closeness to George Bush |
UK-US relations in the run-up to the Iraq war are to come under scrutiny as ex-US Ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer gives evidence to the war inquiry.
His evidence is expected to touch on the personal relationship between Tony Blair and former President Bush and the extent to which this influenced policy.
The inquiry was told on Wednesday of reports days before the war that Iraq had dismantled its chemical weapons.
But Foreign Office officials insisted the war was still justified.
The inquiry is looking into UK involvement in Iraq between 2001 and 2009, with the first few weeks focusing on policy in the build-up to the 2003 US-led invasion.
Intelligence claims
Sir Christopher, UK Ambassador to Washington between 1997 and 2003, will take centre stage on the third day of public hearings.
Critics of the war claim that the US had already decided to topple Saddam Hussein in 2002 and that the UK had agreed to go along with this - claims both countries have denied.
The reasons for going to war in Iraq - including the now discredited claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction which could be used within 45 minutes of an order being given - remain a long-standing source of controversy.
 | INQUIRY TIMELINE November-December: Former top civil servants, spy chiefs, diplomats and military commanders to give evidence January-February 2010: Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and other politicians expected to appear before the panel March 2010: Inquiry expected to adjourn ahead of the general election campaign July-August 2010: Inquiry expected to resume Report set to be published in late 2010 or early 2011  |
On Wednesday, senior Foreign Office official Sir William Ehrman told the inquiry that a report shortly before the invasion suggested Iraq's chemical weapons may have been "disassembled".
"We did... get a report that chemical weapons might have remained disassembled and Saddam hadn't yet ordered their assembly."
A separate report suggested Iraq might also "lack" warheads capable of spreading chemical agents, he added.
However, Sir William - the Foreign Office's Director general of defence and Intelligence between 2002 and 2004 - said there was "contradictory intelligence" and these reports did not "invalidate" the fact that Iraq had chemical weapons.
"It was more about their use. Even if they were disassembled the (chemical or biological) agents still existed."
'WMD surprise'
Sir William insisted that the role of intelligence in the decision to go to war was "limited".
He also said it was a "surprise" no weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq, saying "it was not what we had expected".
| WITNESSES ON THURSDAY SIR CHRISTOPHER MEYER-UK Ambassador to Washington 1997-2003 |
The Lib Dems said Sir William's comments seemed to contradict Tony Blair's statement in Parliament that Iraq posed a "clear and present danger" to international security.
Asked to explain the absence of WMD and why the UK government had got this wrong, Sir William noted a "great deal" of the intelligence about Iraq's chemical and biological weapons production provided before the war had been withdrawn afterwards as false.
Addressing the overall threat posed by Iraq in 2001, officials said it was "not top of its list" of countries causing concern because of their stated desire to develop weapons of mass destruction.
With sanctions in place against Iraq, the Foreign Office believed Saddam Hussein could not build a nuclear weapon and, even if sanctions were removed, it was estimated it would take him five years to do so.
Officials said most evidence suggested Iraq's chemical and biological programme had largely been "destroyed" in 1991.
Although reports in late 2002 suggested Iraq was rebuilding its capability, they said intelligence about its actual position had been "patchy" since weapons inspectors were expelled in 1998.
But they maintain the threat posed by Iraq was viewed as "unique" because it had shown itself willing to use weapons of mass destruction on its own people and its neighbours.
Terrorist links
The inquiry also learnt that the UK investigated and rejected suggestions of links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda.
Following the 9/11 attacks, the Foreign Office looked at the matter "very carefully" but concluded the two were not "natural allies".
The inquiry, looking at the whole period from 2001 to 2009, was set up by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who also chose the panel.
Mr Brown and predecessor Tony Blair are expected to be among future witnesses, with the final report due early in 2011.
Previously, the Butler inquiry looked at intelligence failures before the war, while the Hutton inquiry examined the circumstances leading to the death of former government adviser David Kelly.
