Wait Goes On For Iraq War Inquiry Findings
The findings of the official inquiry into the Iraq War are still awaited more than six years after it was set up.
The findings of the official inquiry into the Iraq War are still awaited more than six years after it was set up.
Sir John Chilcot has come under fire for the drawn-out process of producing his report, which the then prime minister Gordon Brown said he expected to take at least a year'' when he commissioned it in June 2009.
The report into the 2003 conflict has been delayed by a process known as Maxwellisation'', under which those who may face criticism - believed to include former prime minister Tony Blair - are given the opportunity to respond before publication.
Sir John said last month that he had now received the last response.
Further work would be required to evaluate the detailed and substantial'' submissions and determine how much more time would be needed to finalise the report.
Sir John has been threatened with legal action from families of Iraq War casualties over his failure to set a timetable for publication. He is now said to be planning to write to Prime Minister David Cameron in the next two weeks to set this out.
Mr Cameron said in August that he shared the families' immense frustration'' and urged the inquiry chairman toget on with it''.
Downing Street has always stressed that the timing of publication is a matter for the inquiry.
Original plans for the inquiry were that it would be held behind closed doors and not apportion blame, but these were changed after allegations of an establishment stitch-up''.
The final public hearing was in February 2011 but since then there have been delays amid wrangling over the release of secret documents.