Howard backs PM over Iraq

Peace broke out today between Tony Blair and Michael Howard as they lined up together to defend the war in Iraq and back the latest, much-criticised inquiry into whether crucial intelligence failed.

At the start of a full Commons debate, the Tory leader highlighted the benefits to Iraq and the wider world of removing Saddam Hussein, the importance of Britain's relationship with the United States and the need to counter "the threats we face in the dangerous world in which we live".

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy led MPs from all parties in criticising the new inquiry, complaining that its remit was too narrow and that it would target, unfairly, the intelligence services rather than the politicians.

Mr Howard, however, said that he welcomed the inquiry and suggested that it might end up by finding no one was to blame. He acknowledged that, on the issue of weapons of mass destruction, it was "becoming increasingly clear there was a discrepancy between the intelligence and the reality on the ground". But he said that no one should under-estimate the difficulties of gaining reliable information.

Mr Blair reaffirmed that he was ready to concede that the weapons information, accepted in good faith at the time, could turn out to be wrong.