UK's long-awaited Iraq war probe to come out in July

LONDON

A long-awaited independent probe into Britain’s role in the 2003 Iraq war will finally be published in July this year, nearly seven years after it was commissioned.

Retired Judge John Chilcot confirmed in a letter published online on Monday afternoon that the results of his inquiry – a report containing 2.6 million words – would be made public on July 6.

The Iraq Inquiry was originally commissioned by former U.K. Prime Minster Gordon Brown to examine Britain’s involvement in Iraq between 2001 and 2009.

It took evidence from a wide range of key figures, including Brown and ex-British premier Tony Blair, but has since been hampered by lengthy fact-checking and a process known as Maxwellization, where individuals are given the opportunity to respond to criticism in the report.

In a letter to current U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron published on the Iraq Inquiry website, Chilcot said the report would not contain any redactions for national security reasons.

He continued: “With your agreement, I should, therefore, like to set Wednesday, 6 July, 2016 as the date for publication of the report.

“That will allow sufficient time for the inquiry to prepare its 2.6 million word report for publication, including final proof reading, formatting, printing and the steps required for electronic publication.”

Jack Straw, who was foreign secretary in 2003 when Britain decided to join the U.S.-led alliance that invaded Iraq, said he was “not nervous” about the report.

Straw told BBC News: “It's seven years since the inquiry was appointed. It's five-and-a-half years since it last took any oral evidence but it's obviously been a massive task for them and I think they're going to make it as comprehensive a report as possible.

“It was a very important decision, one which was very controversial, and it's right that the inquiry took the time they felt was needed.”

A statement on the Iraq Inquiry website added that arrangements were being made so that families of those who died in the conflict in Iraq could have early access to the report on the day of publication.