Brown to Consider Iraq Inquiry

Gordon Brown will consider holding an inquiry into the Iraq war once British troops have returned home, government sources confirmed yesterday.

Speculation about an inquiry has intensified in recent weeks as British troops prepare to withdraw from Iraq.

Brown said in March last year that it would be "appropriate" to hold an inquiry once British troops had helped to stabilize Iraq. On his return to Britain last December, after he announced that most of Britain's troops would return home by the end of July, the prime minister said that the time was still not right to hold an inquiry.

There was renewed speculation yesterday after the News of the World reported that Brown may announce the inquiry at the labor party conference in the autumn. This is said to have upset senior military figures who are angry that their officers will be called to give evidence.

But government sources said there had been no change in the government position, last outlined by the prime minister in December.

Brown told MPs on his return from Iraq: "I have always said that this is a matter that we will consider once our troops have come home. We are not in that position at present, so it is not right to open the question now."

The News of the World reported that senior military figures have said it would be wrong to question soldiers in any inquiry because the decision to go to war was taken on entirely political grounds.

One senior Ministry of defense official was quoted as saying: "British soldiers were not involved in any way in the political decision to invade Iraq ... To call them to account would be an appalling travesty."