MGOH,

Just a couple of points

"Troops in the area ready to deploy, and capable air support were also present in 2003."

Only thing in 1991, Kevin, was that Royal Marines were actually on the ground inside the Kurdish area of Iraq, they were deployed no "ready-to" about it.

"The pressure was getting results."

Was it really? I would like to know exactly what results those were Kevin.

"There was no immeduate need for war, and it is quite possible that Saddam could have been shifted without war."

No Kevin there was no immediate need for war, we could have all just carried on as before - that was what Saddam was hoping for. Having been given every opportunity to comply with UNSC Resolutions Saddam chose not to. While it might have been possible - anything is possible - going on past history regarding this man and the regime that backed him shifting him by means other than those adopted would have been highly improbable.

"The "45 minute threat", as interpreted by the media, was badly wrong, in a way which served to strengthen the case for war."

In which case, Kevin, the media should have spent a bit more time checking its facts. As normal, the "journalist" already had his story written with the spin he wanted to put on it, he scrabbled around to get something, or somebody (single-sourced and uncorroborated) to provide the flesh on the bare bones of his (the journalists) rather weak case.

"The Government wilfully failed to correct the false version of the "threat". This was a lie by omission, even if we accept that they actually believed in the existence of any such threat in the first place."

The passage containing the 45 minute reference in the JIC Dossier is, and always been, perfectly clear. The document that was presented in Parliament was for the consumption of those taking part in the debate. The document was the work of the Joint Intelligence Committee, as such the Government could not and did not alter it, members on both sides of the House based their decisions on what was contained in that document. They backed the Government of the day, and they were right to do so.