Sir John Chilcot defends delay to Iraq report

Sir John Chilcot resisted calls to speed the publication of a long-delayed inquiry into the Iraq war on Wednesday, insisting that the report must be "fair".

When announced by the government six years ago, the Chilcot inquiry was expected to take a year to report.

It is examining the decisions made in the run-up to the start of the war in 2003 and Britain's involvement.

Families of those who lost loved ones in the conflict this month threatened legal action unless the report was published by the end of 2015.

"I should like firstly to reiterate that my colleagues and I understand the anguish of the families of those who lost their lives in the conflict," Chilcot said.

"It is critically important that the report should be fair to all who participated in the conflict and to those who bore the responsibility of taking decisions."

Those criticised in the report have been accused of deliberately delaying it by dragging out their responses, something Chilcot denied.

"The inquiry has remained in control of its deadlines throughout the process. In some cases, the response sent to us required detailed and complex analysis which has taken time," he said.

In all 179 British soldiers died in the conflict in Iraq between 2003 and 2010. The war killed many more Iraqi civilians, with one survey by the PLOS Medicine journal estimating half a million people were killed directly and indirectly.

Roger Bacon, whose son Major Matthew Bacon was killed in 2005 in Iraq, expressed disappointment at Chilcot's response.

"He should just get on with it. I'm not sure he is able to understand our anguish. If he was in our shoes, he might well take a different view on what is going on," Bacon said.

"It seems to go on and on and on. The fact he is still waiting for responses means there will be further delays."
Source: AFP