Chilcot report into Iraq war to be published in July

The Chilcot report into the Iraq war will be published on 6 July, the UK Government has announced.

The chair of the Iraq Inquiry, Sir John Chilcot, wrote to David Cameron setting out the publication date and revealing there will be no redactions in the text.

The inquiry into the decision to go to war in Iraq, launched in 2009, has been delayed on numerous occasions.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Chilcot said: “National security checking of the inquiry’s report has now been completed, without the need for any redactions to appear in the text.

“I am grateful for the speed with which it was accomplished.”

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He added that the 6 July publication date “will allow suitable time for the inquiry to prepare the 2.6 million word report for publication, including final proof reading, formatting, printing and the steps required for electronic publication”.

Last year, Labour former Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted the 2003 Iraq invasion was partially responsible for the rise of Islamic State, but said he found it “hard to apologise”.

However he did say sorry for the fact the intelligence on which he based the case for going to war was wrong and for “mistakes” in the planning of the invasion and its aftermath.

In an interview with CNN, Mr Blair was asked whether the war was the “principle cause” of the rise of IS.

"I think there are elements of truth in that,” he replied.

"Of course you can't say those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015."

He pointed to the move of IS from Iraq to Syria and the Arab Spring as other factors behind IS taking a grip in Iraq, however.

And he refused to apologise for the war as a whole.

“I find it hard to apologise for removing Saddam,” Mr Blair said.  

"I think, even from today in 2015, it is better that he's not there than that he is there.”