Hans Blix, the former head of UN weapons inspectors, has warned that the current US approach to Iran echoes the flawed intelligence that led to the 2003 Iraq war. In evidence to the Iraq inquiry, Blix said Britain and the US relied on dubious sources ahead of the invasion.
Blix told the inquiry that when inspectors repeatedly failed to find evidence of active weapons of mass destruction programmes in Iraq, it should have set alarm bells ringing in London and Washington. He said he warned then Prime Minister Tony Blair in February 2003 that Saddam Hussein might not have any such weapons.
Blix stated: 'When we reported that we did not find any weapons of mass destruction they should have realised, I think, both in London and in Washington, that their sources were poor. They should have been more critical about that.' He also cautioned Blair that it would be 'paradoxical' to invade Iraq with 250,000 troops and find very little.
The former inspector said he never felt 'weapons of mass destruction' was a useful term, as it conflated nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. He noted that the British more or less accepted there was no nuclear threat. Blix also condemned claims that Iraq tried to acquire uranium from Niger, based on a forged document, calling it 'the most scandalous part'.
Blix accused the Bush administration of being 'high on military' after the 9/11 attacks, and said they felt they could get away with the invasion without a further UN resolution. He expressed concern that similar tactics are being used against Iran today.
