Interesting comment in The Scotsman on the Iraq Survey Group Report, raising once again the question as to how much the hope (and, to an extent reality) of French support led Saddam to take the line he did in the run-up to the war, a line, which (whatever your views on the war) did end up making conflict more, not less, likely.
Tony Blair’s comment is also worth repeating here:
“Just as I have had to accept that the evidence now is that there were not stockpiles of actual weapons ready to be deployed, I hope others have the honesty to accept that the report also shows that sanctions weren’t working.”