UK: Iraq inquiry to question US officials
John Chilcot confirmed on Monday he hopes to obtain evidence from American officials, but did not say which specific individuals he wants to question.
"We cannot take formal evidence as such from foreign nationals, but we can of course have discussions with them," Chilcot stressed.
The long-awaited public hearings of Britain's involvement in the 2003 Iraq war began in November last year.
The inquiry has so far seen former Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, current MI6 intelligence agency Chief John Sawers, Head of Britain's military Jock Stirrup and a host of ministers and government officials offer testimony on the conflict's origins.
Chilcot said his panel will question British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Foreign Secretary David Miliband and a number of other British officials in a second round of hearings before summer.
He added that he also plans to gather evidence from US officials and military veterans.
A spokesman for Bush has declined to comment on whether any request has been made to the former president or if he would cooperate.
The inquiry has so far gathered much information about the lead-up to the war, with former Foreign Policy Adviser Sir David Manning testifying that Blair had assured Bush of backing "regime change" in Iraq, 11 months prior to the 2003 invasion, during a meeting at the ex-president's Texas ranch.
Recalling the meeting at the Crawford ranch in April 2002, Britain's former Ambassador to the United States' Christopher Meyer, also said that Bush and Blair had "signed in blood" an agreement to take military action in Iraq.
Meanwhile, military historian Lawrence Freedman indicated in questioning that Bush had advised Blair he planned to topple Saddam Hussein even if the despot cooperated with the United Nations weapons inspectors.
Details of private correspondence between the two former heads of Britain and the United States have been provided to the panel, but have not been released publicly.
Some lawmakers have demanded that the letters be made public, but the government has declined.
According to data compiled by the London-based Opinion Research Business and its research partner in Iraq, the Independent Institute for Administration and Civil Society Studies, the Iraq war has left more than one million Iraqis dead.
Moreover, a fifth of Iraqi households have lost at least one family member due to the conflict.
The United Nations estimates that the number of displaced persons in Iraq stands at more than four million.
Feb. 9, 2010