Serious flaws in Iraq intelligence

The intelligence used to make the case for war with Iraq is now doubted, the Butler inquiry has concluded.
In a 196 page report it says MI6 did not check its sources well enough, and sometimes relied on third hand reports.

It also says the 2002 dossier should not have included the claim Iraq could use WMD within 45 minutes, without explaining what that meant.

Tony Blair told MPs he "accepted" the findings and that Iraq may not have had WMD stockpiles when the war started.

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SOME KEY FINDINGS:

Al Qaida-linked facilities in the Kurdish Ansar al Islam area were beyond the control of the Iraqi regime.

No evidence of cooperation between Iraq and Al Qaeda.

It is possible that Iraq sought to buy uranium in AFrica in 1999, but no evidence that any pruchase was actually made.

The claim that Iraq could deploy chemical and biological within 45 minutes was without basis.

There were no mobile biological weapons laboratories and claims to that effect were based upon erroneous sources.

British intelligence erroneously claimed that aluminum tubes purchased by the Iraqis were inteded for use in nuclear weapons production. In fact, British intelligence deliberately omitted specific facts that constradcted this claim.

Evidence leading to conclusions that Iraq still possessed stockpiles of chemical and biological was based upon dubious and unreliable sources.

Information from UNSCOM and IAEA were more reliable that British intelligence.

The UN sanctions and inspections programs were working effectively.