John Baron

Conservative Party | Billericay and District

John Baron MP criticises Prime Minister over Iraq Inquiry

15 June 2009

MP says PM should first admit we went to war on a false premise

Today in the House of Commons the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a Committee of Inquiry into the Iraq war and its aftermath. It will consider the periods from summer 2001 before military operations began in March 2003and our subsequent involvement in Iraq until the end of July this year.

John said:

"Given that the justification for war at the time was Weapons of Mass Destruction and in order to give this Inquiry – flawed though it is – the best possible start, the Prime Minister should first admit in all humility what is now blatantly obvious and that is we went to war on a false premise."

"The Inquiry is flawed from top to bottom: it will be held in secret, the evidence will not be given on oath and it will not cover the West’s support for Sadam Hussein prior to 2001. It will not command the respect of the public, particularly the families of our service personnel killed or injured in Iraq and the many hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have suffered since our invasion."