Fierce critic leads US inquiry

Tony Blair faced fresh criticism over his inquiry into the run-up to the Iraq war today.

It came after President Bush chose one of his toughest critics to head the US investigation, Senator John McCain. By contrast Mr Blair has chosen former Cabinet Secretary Lord Butler to head his investigation leading to claims that such an establishment figure will not inspire public confidence.

The blow to the Prime Minister came after the head of the CIA said Saddam Hussein posed "no imminent threat" in the months before last year's invasion.

George Tenet's assessment in a speech in Washington was described as a "body blow to the Government's case for war" by Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell.

The CIA director's comments appeared to form part of an effort by secret services to fend off blame in inquiries on both sides of the Atlantic into intelligence failings over Iraqi WMD.

The Lib-Dems, who have refused to take part in Lord Butler's investigation, leapt on Mr Tenet's comments as an indication that UN weapons inspector Hans Blix could have been given more time to disarm Saddam. Sir Menzies said that "the wheels are coming off " the Government's justification for war, based on Mr Blair's claim that Iraqi WMD posed "a current and serious threat".

He added: "Labour simply can't find a way to put this story to bed. Nearly 12 months after we went to war the Government's case has never seemed weaker."

Downing Street angrily shrugged aside Michael Howard's call for Mr Blair to quit over his admission that he did not know that the Government's key claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction ready to be fired within 45 minutes only referred to battlefield munitions.

His integrity was back on the line after former Commons leader Robin Cook claimed he found it "hard to credit" that Mr Blair was not aware of intelligence information which had been fully understood by him and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon.

Other Labour critics of the war were expected to return to the attack over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the White House was poised to announce full details of the probe into why the US believed Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.

It will not reveal its conclusions until after the Presidential election in November - unlike Lord Butler's inquiry which is expected to report by the summer.

In a further attempt to limit the political fall-out over the issue, President Bush went on the offensive.

He admitted that stockpiles of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons had not yet been found in Iraq, but saying the war was justified because Saddam had been removed from power.

"Because we acted, Iraq's nightmare is over," Mr Bush said. "Knowing what I knew then and knowing what I know today. America did the right thing in Iraq.

"We had a choice. Either take the word of a madman or take action to defend the American people."

Pressure has been growing on the White House to explain what went wrong with US intelligence after the head of the US team searching for banned weapons in Iraq resigned last month.

David Kay said that the widespread US belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction was "wrong".