Butler report: Intelligence was seriously flawed.

Byline: GAVIN CORDON and ROB MERRICK

TONY Blair yesterday conceded Iraq probably did not have weapons of mass destruction after the Butler Inquiry found intelligence reports used to justify the war were ``open to doubt'' and ``seriously flawed''.

Although the inquiry concluded Iraq had no significant stocks of chemical or biological weapons at the time of the war, the Prime Minister insisted he had acted in good faith.

The inquiry criticised ministers for failing to challenge claims by the intelligence agencies that Saddam Hussein had WMDs.

It suggested that MI6 had had to rely on ``untried'' agents because of the intense demands for information.

It also found Mr Blair reinforced the impression the intelligence was ``fuller and firmer'' than it actually was through his statements in the House of Commons.

However it cleared Mr Blair and other ministers of deliberately misleading Parliament or the public.

Instead, the brunt of the blame was laid firmly at the door of MI6 and the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), the senior body which gives advice to ministers.

Mr Blair told the Commons the inquiry's report showed the Government had acted in good faith.

``No one lied. No one made up the intelligence, '' he said.

``For any mistakes made . in good faith I of course take full responsibility, but I cannot honestly say I believe getting rid of Saddam was a mistake. ''

Mr Howard, however, accused him of turning the ``qualified judgments'' of the intelligence agencies into ``unqualified certainties''.

``I hope we will not face in this country another war in the foreseeable future, but if we did and you identified the threat, would the country believe you?'' he demanded.

The inquiry expressed ``surprise'' ministers did not order the agencies to reassess the intelligence after UN inspectors failed to find any evidence of WMDs .

It also said the decision to issue the dossier in the name of the JIC was ``mistaken''because ``more weight was placed on the intelligence than it could actually bear''.

``The Prime Minister's description to the House of Commons on the day of publication of the dossier, of the picture painted by the intelligence services in the dossier as `extensive, detailed and authoritative' may have reinforced this impression, '' the report said.

The report acknowledged its strictures were so severe they would lead for calls for John Scarlett, the JIC chairman about to take over as head of MI6, to step down, although it said they should be resisted.

The claim ome weapons could be deployed within 45 minutes should not made it clear it referred only to battlefield weapons.

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Lord Butler speaking at a news conference yesterday Picture: DAVID BEBBER