Tony Blair’s “sheer psychological dominance” played a key role in the run-up to the Iraq war, and meant that flawed evidence justifying the 2003 invasion was never challenged, Sir John Chilcot told MPs on Wednesday. I had the sense from Straw’s answer that he had achieved a personal and political dominance, a sheer psychological dominance. Blair also “overestimated” his ability to influence US decision-making on Iraq, Chilcot said. From the outset the Bush administration was set on regime change, Chilcot told MPs. Asked who was most responsible for the Iraq disaster, Chilcot answered: Blair, Straw, and the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon.

Source: The Guardian November 02, 2016 17:03 UTC