Blair will be called up to testify before Iraq inquiry

TONY Blair will be called to give evidence before the Iraq inquiry, the head of the investigation has confirmed, as a row continued to rage over whether vital evidence will be heard in secret.

The former prime minister will be expected to appear before the five-strong panel, Sir John Chilcot, the former senior civil servant who chairs the inquiry, said yesterday.

The Chilcot inquiry could take until 2011 to complete – after the next general election – and will investigate the run up to the war, from the summer of 2001, the war itself and the aftermath up to July this year.

But critics argued that the panel was still made up of "establishment" figures who had given themselves caveats to hold sessions in private.

Sir John rejected claims the inquiry would be a whitewash. He said the process would be open "wherever possible".

Critics raised fears Mr Blair and others could escape the spotlight after Sir John said some sessions could be behind closed doors to ensure "complete candour" as well as to protect national security.

"The formal giving of open oral witness testimony is crucial for the key actors and decision-makers," he said – opening the prospect of some being televised and streamed online.

"But there is a wide range of people with useful background knowledge we shall want to talk to on different terms," he said.

Sir John insisted that the inquiry would be "rigorous, fair and frank" and would look at the invasion's legality.

"The inquiry is not a court of law and nobody is on trial. But I want to make something absolutely clear: the committee will not shy away from making criticism.

"If we find mistakes were made, that there were issues which could have been dealt with better, we will say so."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown had announced the inquiry last month, but was forced to back away from suggestions that it would be held in private after a public outcry.

Opposition parties were sceptical about how effective the inquiry would be in bringing people to account.

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: "Despite Sir John's best efforts, this is still not the inquiry that the nation wanted to see, and it is a classic illustration of Gordon Brown's lack of openness in government that it has been announced too late to report before the general election.

"It would be unacceptable if sessions are held in private simply because ministers or former ministers, including Tony Blair, want to avoid embarrassment."

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said it was "very disappointing" that Sir John had all but ruled out an interim report before the election.

Mr Clegg said: "Tony Blair ordered this disastrous war and Gordon Brown signed the cheques. Without public appearances from them, this inquiry will be seen as a whitewash."

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said it was essential Mr Blair and Mr Brown gave their evidence in public.

Sir John said one of his first priorities was to talk to the families of service personnel killed in Iraq and veterans' groups to find out what they wanted the inquiry's priorities to be.