Newsmaker

Tony Blair to testify at Iraq war inquiry

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-01-21 17:32

LONDON - Britain's former prime minister, Tony Blair, has arrived early for his second round of testimony to an official inquiry into the decision to go to war in Iraq.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrives at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, in central London Jan 21, 2011. Blair will appear on Friday before an inquiry into the Iraq War, headed by former civil servant John Chilcot, for a second public grilling to clarify earlier evidence detailing his reasons for joining the controversial invasion. [Photo/Agencies]

The London inquiry, which began in 2009, recalled Blair to testify on Friday about apparent differences between his version and the testimony of other witnesses.

In his first appearance in January last year he said former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had been a threat to the world and had to be removed or disarmed.

Blair and the head of the civil service declined the committee's request to publish communications between the British leader and US President George W. Bush leading up to the invasion in 2003. Members of the commission, however, have seen the correspondence.