Channel 4 News tonight quoted an unnamed “senior government source who has seen the Butler Report” into the gathering and handling of intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to last year’s Iraq War. as saying it had cleared Tony Blair of mishandling intelligence in order to make the case for war with Iraq.

But the source suggested that the Uk prime Minister would face criticism for his informal style of decision-making in the run-up to war.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell told the programme: “It certainly seems as if our apprehension that the inquiry’s terms of reference did not allow it to go wide enough has been justified.

“Of course, as you’ve noticed, the government’s been at it already, spinning pretty strongly as to the way in which it wants the public to interpret these findings. Charles Kennedy and myself have got to wait until six o’clock tomorrow morning before we are allowed to see the report.”

The party’s leader, Mr Kennedy, told Channel 4 News: “The Butler Inquiry will again raise issues about trust in the Prime Minister and the political judgment of the Prime Minister in going to war in Iraq.

“I think that trust and that judgment has gone as far as the people in this country are concerned, and I think Tony Blair tomorrow is going to have to face that fact.”

Former foreign secretary Robin Cook, who quit the Cabinet in protest over the war, said: “I very much hope that when Tony Blair speaks to the House of Commons tomorrow, he will accept that there were mistakes, he will tell us lessons have been learned and, most importantly, assure the public that it won’t happen again.”

 http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=110765752&p=yyx766458&n=110766512