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Chilcot report: Tony Blair’s Iraq War case not justified –
Tony Blair overstated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, sent ill-prepared troops into battle and had “wholly inadequate” plans for the aftermath, the UK’s Iraq War inquiry has said. Chairman Sir John Chilcot said the 2003 invasion was not the “last resort” action presented to MPs and the public. There was no “imminent threat” from Saddam – and the intelligence case was “not justified”, he said. Mr Blair apologised for any mistakes made but not the decision to go to war. Sir John, the ex-civil servant who chaired the inquiry, describes the Iraq War as an intervention that went “badly wrong” with consequences still being felt to this day – and he set out lessons to be learned for future conflicts. His report, which is 2.6 million words, does not make a judgement on whether Mr Blair or his ministers were in breach of international law. [BBC]
Tony Blair in 2014

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Chilcott Report – errors in political and military decision-making in going to war in Iraq:

• UK military commanders made “over-optimistic assessments” of their capabilities which had led to “bad decisions”
• There was “little time” to properly prepare three military brigades for deployment in Iraq. The risks were neither “properly identified nor fully exposed” to ministers, resulting in “equipment shortfalls”
• Policy on the Iraq invasion was made on the basis of flawed intelligence assessments. It was not challenged, and should have been
• Mr Blair overestimated his ability to influence US decisions on Iraq; and the UK’s relationship with the US does not require unconditional support

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

• CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion
  • Twenty Philippine Army soldiers are under investigation after they are suspected of mutilating the body of a New People’s Army member. The communist militant’s eyes were gouged, his tongue was cut off and his throat was slit. (GMA News)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • A suicide car bomb, that targeted the Central Security headquarters in the port city of Aden, Yemen, kills at least 26 people. Following the blast, militants stormed the compound and clashed with soldiers. No group immediately claimed responsibility but it is similar to an Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant attack on the port of Al Mukalla. (AP via The New York Times) (Reuters)

Business and economy

• The price of nickel swings wildly after Philippines environment secretary Gina Lopez announces plans to close existing mines in the country. (Financial Times) (Bloomberg)
• Business magnate and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi sells leading football club A.C. Milan to a Chinese consortium for an eventual €400 million. (BBC)
• Australian federal election, 2016
  • Standard & Poor’s drops Australia’s debt outlook from stable to negative following the country’s surprisingly close election this weekend. (The Guardian)

International relations

• International reactions to Philippines v. China
  • China threatens the United States regarding the South China Sea and it will not accept a verdict in the Permanent Court of Arbitration. (ABC News Go) (Forbes)

Law and crime

• Oscar Pistorius trial
  • South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is sentenced to six years imprisonment for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. (CNN)

Politics and elections

• Iraq Inquiry
  • A report about the United Kingdom‘s involvement in the Iraq War is released. The chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Chilcot, said that the invasion was not a “last resort” and was based on “flawed intelligence and assessments”. The inquiry was announced on 15 June 2009 by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The final hearing was held on 2 February 2011. (The Guardian) (BBC) (BBC²)
• Hillary Clinton email controversy
  • Loretta Lynch, the Attorney General of the United States, closes the investigation into Hillary Clinton‘s use of a personal email system to conduct official business without charges being laid. (CNN)
• 2016 Zimbabwe protests
  • National “Stay Away” protests, organized over the Internet via the WhatsApp social messaging platform, take place in Zimbabwe, following fears of an economic collapse amid calls for President Robert Mugabe’s resignation.(BBC News)

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