Report of the Iraq Inquiry: Executive Summary

Every word of the executive summary of the British public inquiry into 2003 Iraq War.Ordered in 2009 by the then Prime Minister of Britain, Gordon Brown, the Iraq Inquiry is the official verdict on Britain's conduct before, during and after the conflict.Informally named after its chairman Sir John Chilcot, a retired civil servant, the inquiry finally reported its findings on 6th July 2016.In official language, it damned aspects of government during Tony Blair's premiership. Philippe Sands QC wrote in the London Review of Books:'It offers a long and painful account of an episode that may come to be seen as marking the moment when the UK fell off its global perch, trust in government collapsed and the country turned inward and began to disintegrate.'The report deals with:*Iraq's threat to the UK;* Britain's legal advice for the invasion;*intelligence about weapons of mass destruction; and*planning for a post-conflict Iraq.Published under an Open Government Licence, this hardcover book aims to bring to a wider audience the findings of a public inquiry which took seven years and cost the British taxpayer more than £10 million.It is designed to provide a superior reading experience to the official report. For this reason, the typeface and spacing are different to the official report; however the text, headings, footnotes and any emphasis are exactly those of the original document.CONTENTSIntroduction.Pre-conflict strategy and planning.The UK decision to support US military action.Why Iraq? Why now?The UK's relationship with the US.Decision-making.Advice on the legal basis for military action.Weapons of mass destruction.Planning for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.The post-conflict period.Occupation.Transition.Planning for withdrawal.Did the UK achieve its objectives in Iraq?Key findings.LessonsTimeline of eventsIdeal for any student of politics, diplomacy, or conflict.