Tony Blair's Iraq War finally undone by Lord Goldsmith

It had to come to it. Lord Goldsmith has spent years looking like a man who knows he's keeping the truth clenched behind his teeth. The Chilcott Committee, inquiring into the Iraq War decisions, submitted a written question to Lord Goldsmith. This arose because Lord Goldsmith was "uncomfortable" with Tony Blair's remarks in 2003. Blair told MPs that while a second UN resolution was "preferable" there were circumstances in which it was "not necessary" - in the event of the use of an "unreasonable veto" by a Security Council member. He also told the BBC's Newsnight programme on 6 February 2003 that if a country vetoed a further resolution "unreasonably" then "I would consider action outside of that".

The inquiry panel asked Lord Goldsmith if he felt those words were "compatible with the advice you had given him".

Lord Goldsmith replied simply "no".

We sort of knew that all along. The trouble with this war and all the carry-ons surrounding it is that Blair's government might as well have consulted a couple of educated weasels in getting their arguments across. The vast majority of the country still think Blair cooked up his reasons. He was going to war and that was that.

None of the main players comes out of this well. And for all their posturing Iraq is still a place that offers little or no security, a government of dubious merit, and a people desiring real peace instead of petty violence, car bombings and crime of all sorts.

Blair goes before the inquiry on Friday. Maybe this time he will crack, but I'm not holding my breath!

Posted in: Iraq War Inquiry,Lord Goldsmith,Tony Blair