Skewed and in secret, this Iraq inquiry is a scandal

We badly need to learn from the most important foreign policy decision of the last decade. This tissue won't help us

Jonathan Steele
guardian.co.uk, Monday 15 June 2009

"Gordon Brown's ­announcement of a secret inquiry into the runup to and conduct of Britain's invasion and occupation of Iraq (not the nouns he used, of course) is scandalous.....

The key issue is that the inquiry must be held in public. No doubt Brown is afraid that hearings on the Iraq war could damage Labour's chances in the runup to a general election. Labour's chances are slim at best but exposure of the government's decision-making before and after the Iraq war is not going to swing many votes. What might swing more votes to Labour would be evidence that the government is thinking about learning lessons for the future and inviting the public into the discussion. That would show real respect for democracy."