| News Stories - Difficult week for Tony Blair |
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| Tony Blair's
entering a turbulent week. On Wednesday
he'll hear the findings of a five-month inquiry, investigating British
intelligence in
the run-up to the war with Iraq, and contrasting that with
post-conflict reality. On Thursday
he faces two difficult by-elections.
Now adding to the pressure, two former senior intelligence officials
have told the BBC that they doubted some
of Mr Blair's assertions in the run-up to the war with
Iraq.
A former deputy head of the defence intelligence staff, John
Morrison, dismissed Mr Blair's assessment, in an intelligence
dossier back in September 2002, that Saddam Hussein posed a current
and serious threat. Another former senior member of the defence
intelligence staff, Dr Brian Jones, questioned Mr Blair's assertion
that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles
of weapons of mass destruction.
The BBC programme Panorama also reported an intelligence source
claiming that MI6 has now retracted the
claim that Saddam Hussein had continued to produce chemical
and biological agents.
Downing Street is refusing to comment ahead
of the Butler report on Wednesday.
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Turbulent: stormy, difficult: here,
a week in which he is likely to face a lot of criticism
Intelligence: intelligence is information
gathered by a government about their country's enemies
in the run-up to the war: before
the war started
post-conflict reality: what has
actually happened since the war
by-elections: a by-election is
a special election that is held to choose a new member of parliament
when a member has resigned or died
doubted some of Mr Blair's assertions:
did not agree with some of what Mr Blair had said
dismissed Mr Blair's assessment:
said he did not agree with Mr Blair's opinion
stockpiles: large stores
has now retracted the claim: has
said it no longer believes
ahead of the Butler report: before
the Butler report is published
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