MGOH: "Maybe the new inquiry will sort out the truth."

Do you mean the truth, Kevin, even if it supports the Governments position? - Or do you mean the truth as perceived by you?

DmcG: Gilligan broke this story with his highly spun report - The rest of the "media" did what it normally does - went charging off down the same road like a pack on the scent. Once they realised they were in a cul-de-sac, they then concentrated on reporting the growing row between the Government and the BBC.

According to your comments, any inquiry is a complete and waste of taxpayers money, as it will convince nobody - the Government just can't win:
- Refuse an inquiry and they are covering things up.
- Set up an inquiry which finds in their favour and its a "whitewash"
- Set up an Inquiry which finds in their favour and its terms of reference were "fixed".

Why bother, on every shred of evidence produced so far, no inquiry will find that the Government acted irresponsibly.

Peter T : Just because something has been stated in numerous places, does not necessarily make it fact.

I cannot offer an opinion on the US Intelligence Agencies, but with regard to the British Intelligence Services, to date three different investigations (according to the BBC) have found that the British Intelligence Services, and the JIC to be non-politicised.

The British Intelligence Services were asked to do precisely what you state they were not - They were asked to present a factual unbiased evaluation of the intelligence information relating to Iraq correct as of September 2002. That is what they did.

The fact, that former heads of the JIC stated that Sir John Scarlett went over the line, might have something to do with the fact, that they wouldn't know where the line was that they were talking about. As sir John Scarlett said in his evidence to the Hutton inquiry, the dossier he was asked to compile was unique, it had never been done before. So what is also a fact is that those former heads of the JIC had no relevant experience upon which to make those statements, other than offering personal opinions. Sir John Scarlett went into quite some detail explaining the differences between a normal JIC report and the dossier.

Where on earth you get the idea that british public were being asked to support anything is beyond me, as far as I know the british public were never asked anything. Although from the objection stated in your post, you somehow seem to think that the british public as a whole should have been given given free access to the information, sources, etc, of the British Intelligence Services in order that they could fully appraise themselves of the situation and make a decision on behalf of the British Government - absolutely ridiculous.

The matter was put before the House of Commons, it was debated, there was a vote, and the Government Policy was backed. That was how it was done, it was done properly and in my opinion they made the right decision. This was all done, before they "headed off".