LONDON // Britain's top civil servant has blocked plans to publish messages sent by the then-prime minister Tony Blair to George W Bush in the months leading up to the invasion of Iraq.
The government-ordered inquiry in London into the events before, during and after the invasion of 2003 had wanted to publish extracts from the letters, saying they were "essential" to understanding what had happened.
But the head of the civil service, the Cabinet secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell, has now refused the request to declassify the messages in a move that has clearly annoyed Sir John Chilcot, the inquiry's chairman.
Sir Gus, who will give evidence to the inquiry next week, has ruled that "the public interest is not best served" by declassifying the letters.
"I judge that their release would, or would be likely to, damage the UK’s international relations," he told Sir John in a letter, adding that the Cabinet Office attached "particular importance" to protecting the channel of communications between the British prime minister and the US president.
However, a clearer idea of the commitments and support Mr Blair was giving the then-US president Bush in the run-up to the war might well emerge tomorrow when Mr Blair is recalled by the inquiry to give evidence for a second time.
The five members of the inquiry are expected to paraphrase the personal pledges Mr Blair gave to Mr Bush in their questions to him.
Alastair Campbell, the former communications director in Downing Street and one of Mr Blair's closest aides, has already told the inquiry that the secret messages, some of them handwritten, had assured Mr Bush in the year before the invasion that Britain would back any military action taken by the US.
Mr Campbell told the inquiry last year that the letters were "very frank", adding: "The tenor of them was that we are absolutely with you in making Saddam face up to his obligations.
"But if that can't be done diplomatically, if it has to be done militarily, then Britain will be there."
These assurances appear to have been made even though Mr Blair's legal advisers were telling him that an invasion of Iraq would not be lawful without a new UN resolution expressly backing it.
Sir John wrote to the Cabinet Secretary last month saying that the inquiry's terms of reference supported public disclosure of the messages, which the inquiry members have already read.
The chairman pointed out that some of the details in the messages had already been disclosed in recently published memoirs by Mr Blair, Mr Bush, Mr Campbell and Jonathan Powell, the former prime minister's chief of staff.
"The inquiry regards it essential in order to fulfil its terms of reference, to be able to chronicle the sequencing of discussions on Iraq between the UK prime minister and the president of the United States," Sir John wrote.
In a subsequent letter, he said: "The material requested provides important, and often unique, insights into Mr Blair's thinking and the commitments he made to President Bush, which are not reflected in other papers.
"The question when and how the prime minister made commitments to the US about the UK's involvement in military action in Iraq and subsequent decisions on the UK's continuing involvement, is central to its considerations". The Cabinet Office later indicated that Sir Gus had consulted Mr Blair before deciding to block the documents' release.
"There is an established convention covering papers of a previous administration whereby former ministers would normally be consulted before release of papers from their time in government," said a Cabinet Office spokeswoman.
When the inquiry resumed its hearings on Tuesday, Sir John said the inquiry members were disappointed that their request was denied.
"This means that in a narrow but important area the inquiry may not always be able to publish as fully as it would wish the evidential basis for some of its comments and conclusions," he said.
A spokesman for David Cameron, the current prime minister, said yesterday that he had not been consulted over the release of the letters.
The inquiry, which is examining mistakes made in the build-up to and aftermath of the US-led invasion, will not apportion blame or assign criminal liability, but will report next year with recommendations for future conflicts.
dsapsted@thenational.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
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a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
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a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
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- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
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