Blair retracts his claim that Iraq can attack us in '45 minutes' with WMDs

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/13/1097607294014.html?from=storylhs

October 14, 2004


The Blair Government has withdrawn its headline-grabbing claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that could be ready within 45 minutes.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw revealed that the spy agency MI6 had formally withdrawn the 45-minute claim and separate intelligence about Iraq's plans to produce biological agents in another move to end the war's political impact.

MI6's move destroys two of the key intelligence lines used by the Government to justify its support for the Iraqi invasion.

Mr Straw said he did not accept "we were wrong" to depose the Iraq president and that "deciding to give Saddam Hussein the benefit of the doubt would have required a huge leap of faith". "I do not accept, even with hindsight, that we were wrong to act as we did," he said.

[MichiganVote]

1. Wow. Speedy little dickens aren' they.....impressive

[zanne]

2. This is the way "the truth comes out" about plots

Years from now, someone will leak that there never was a plot involving liquids on airplanes. When they can't be proven wrong, they make all the political hay they can with a lie.

[leesa]

3. Now?! Good luck with THAT one in the war crimes trial.

[thereismore]

4. now can we officially withdraw the thousands of dead? nt

[mom cat]

5. Oops ... too late for that!

:cry:

[NNN0LHI]

6. These guys are so trustworthy n/t