British government denies publication of Iraq notes

British government denies publication of Iraq notes

2011-01-19 06:58:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- The British government has refused to allow the official inquiry into the Iraq War to publish the exchanges between former U.S. President George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, The Independent reported on Tuesday.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donell denied the request from inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot, who last month asked him to authorize the declassification of extracts from notes sent by Blair to Bush. In the letter, Chilcot said that chronicling the sequencing of discussions on Iraq between the UK prime minister and the US president was essential.

Chilcot added that both leaders revealed some details in their recent memoirs, and said the inquiry's protocol on releasing documents supported disclosure. "Given Mr Blair's decision to disclose some of the content in (his memoirs) A Journey, the committee is likely to be disappointed if he is less forthcoming in his evidence to us," Chilcot wrote in a letter.

Meanwhile, O’Donell replied just before Christmas affirming that their release could damage the UK's international relations.

Chilcot, however, added in a third letter to O'Donell that questions around the decision of Blair to commit to the U.S. and involve Britain in military action against Iraq was "central" to the inquiry.

The refusal was made public just a few days before Blair was due to appear before the Iraq Inquiry for a second time.

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