The Hearings
Public hearings began on Tuesday 24 November 2009 and continued until early February 2010. A small number of witnesses appeared in early March 2010 before the Inquiry stopped holding hearings in the run-up to the May 2010 general election. A further four weeks of hearings took place from late June to late July 2010. At the end of these evidence sessions the Inquiry stated that it might call some witnesses back if it found gaps or contradictions between their testimony and written evidence.
In December 2010 the Inquiry announced that it would hold a further round of public hearings between 18 January and 4 February 2011. It published a list of the names of both new and returning witnesses, including Tony Blair. At the end of this last round of televised hearings Sir John Chilcot stated that the Inquiry had no plans for any further public hearings but would continue to seek written evidence as issues arose, and might also hold a small number of further private hearings. Also that in bringing their analysis of the evidence to a conclusion there would also be other individuals or groups, for instance, Parliamentarians, to whom the Inquiry team would wish to talk.
The Inquiry also held a number of secret hearings and has met witnesses in France, the US, Iraq and Jordan.
The Inquiry published a rolling timetable for the hearing sessions, which we have used to compile this page.
First Phase Hearings
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Tuesday 24 November 2009
Topic: UK Policy towards Iraq in 2001
Simon Webb, Policy Director, Ministry of Defence, 2001- 2004
Sir Peter Ricketts, Political Director, Foreign Office 2002/3
William Patey, Head of Middle East Department, Foreign Office, 1999-2002
Sir Michael Wood, Legal Adviser, Foreign Office, 1999-2006
Afternoon session transcript
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Wednesday 25 November
Topic: Weapons of Mass Destruction
Sir William Ehrman, Director International Security, Foreign Office 2000-2002
Tim Dowse, Head of Counter Proliferation, Foreign Office, 2001-2003
Afternoon session transcript
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Thursday 26 November
Topic: The Transatlantic Relationship
Sir Christopher Meyer (British Ambassador to the United States 1997–2003)
Friday 27 November
Topic: Developments in the United Nations
Sir Jeremy Greenstock, British Ambassador to the United Nations 1998-2003
Monday 30 November
Topic: UK policy towards Iraq 2001 – 2003
Sir David Manning, Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister 2001-2003
Tuesday 1 December
Topic: UK policy towards Iraq 2001 – 2003
Edward Chaplin, HM Ambassador to Jordan 2000-2002
Peter Ricketts, Director General Political (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) 2001-2003
Thursday 3 December
Topic: Military Planning
Kevin Tebbit, Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Defence) 1998-2005
Michael Boyce, Chief of the Defence Staff 2001-2003
Friday 4 December
Topic: Military Planning
Anthony Pigott, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments) 2000-2003
David Wilson, Senior British Military Adviser to CENTCOM 2002-2003
Topic: The view from London and Baghdad 2004-2007
Dominick Asquith, Director Iraq at the Foreign Office 2004-2006 and HM Ambassador to Iraq 2006-2007
Monday 7 December
Topic: Baghdad 2004 – 2005
Edward Chaplin, HM Ambassador to Baghdad, 2004 – 2005
Topic: Post Invasion Iraq: The planning and the reality after the invasion
Maj Gen Timothy Cross, Coalition Provisional Authority, 2003
Desmond Bowen, Deputy Head, Defence and Overseas Secretariat from September 2002
Tuesday 8 December
Topic: Post Invasion Iraq: The planning and the reality after the invasion
Sir Suma Chakrabarti, Permanent Secretary, Department for International Development, 2002-2007
Dominick Chilcott (Head of Iraq Planning Unit, Foreign Office, 2003)
Topic: Intelligence
Sir John Scarlett (Chairman Joint Intelligence Committee 2001-2004)
Topic: The Military Invasion
Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burridge, National Component Commander Operation Telic, Nov 2002 – May 2003
Lt Gen Robin Brims, General Officer Commanding 1 (UK) Armoured Division, UK Land Component Commander Operation Telic, Nov 2002 – May 2003
Wednesday 9 December
Topic: Law, Order and Security in the aftermath
Lt Gen Sir Frederick Viggers, Senior British Military Representative in Iraq, May – Sept 2003
Lt Gen Andrew Figgures, Senior British Military Representative in Iraq, Sept 2003 – Apr 2004
Topic: Basra and the South 2003 – 2004
Sir Hilary Synnott, Coalition Provisional Authority’s Regional Commander for Southern Iraq, Jul 2003 – Jan 2004
Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb, General Officer Commanding Multi-National Division South-East, Jul 2003 – Dec 2003, and Senior British Military Adviser to Iraq, Sept 2006 – July 2007
Maj Gen Andrew Stewart, Coalition Provisional Authority’s Regional Commander for Southern Iraq, Jul 2003 – Jan 2004
Topic: Baghdad 2006 – 2007
Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb
Thursday 10 December
Topics: No 10 perspective in 2001; the early days of the Coalition Provisional Authority
Sir John Sawers, Private Secretary to Tony Blair with responsibility for Foreign Affairs, 1999-2001; UK Special Envoy for Iraq, May – July 2003 and Political Director, FCO, 2003 – 2007
Monday 14 December
Topic: Views from Baghdad 2004 – 2005
Lt Gen Sir John Kiszely
Lt Gen Robin Brims
Topic: The view from Basra 2004 – 2005
Lt Gen Jonathon Riley
Topic: Basra and the South after the invasion
Gen Sir Peter Wall
Tuesday 15 December
Topic: Baghdad at the time of the Coalition Provisional Authority
Sir Jeremy Greenstock
Topic: Views from Basra 2004 – 2006
Lt Gen William Rollo
Lt Gen John Cooper
Wednesday 16 December
Topic: The view from London and Baghdad
Lt Gen Sir Robert Fry
Topic: The view from Whitehall
Sir Nigel Sheinwald
Sir John Sawers
Desmond Bowen
Thursday 17 December
Topic: Promoting Iraq’s recovery and growth after the initial invasion
Jim Drummond
Martin Dinham
Stephen Pickford
Tuesday 5 January 2010
Topic: Baghdad 2005 – 2006
Sir William Patey
Topics: The view from Baghdad 2005 – 2006; the military perspective from London 2006 – 2007
General Sir Nicholas Houghton
Vice Admiral Charles Style
Topic: Policy Decisions 2007 – 2009
Simon McDonald
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Wednesday 6 January
Topic: Policy Decisions 2007 – 2009
General Sir Peter Wall
Jon Day
Mark Lowcock
Topic: Baghdad 2007 – 2009
Christopher Prentice
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Thursday 7 January
Topic: Basra: Operation Charge of the Knights
Major General Barney White-Spunner
Topic: Basra: Developments after the Charge of the Knights
Nigel Haywood
Keith Mackiggan
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Friday 8 January
Topic: Negotiating the UK military exit
Peter Watkins
Topic: UK’s policy towards Iraq in 2009
John Jenkins
Frank Baker
Second Phase hearings
The second phase of the Inquiry’s public hearings began during the week commencing 11 January 2010 although the first witnesses that week were part of its attempts to establish a narrative. During the second phase, witnesses were listed according to the roles on which they were questioned, rather than according to topic.
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Monday 11 January 2010
Lieutenant General Sir Richard Shirreff, General Officer Commanding Multi-National Division South East, July 2006 – Jan 2007
Major General Jonathan Shaw, General Officer Commanding Multi-National Division South East, Jan – Aug 2007
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Tuesday 12 January
Alastair Campbell, Director of Communications and Strategy to the Prime Minister, 2001 – 2003
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Wednesday 13 January
Nemat Shafik, Permanent Secretary, DFID, 2008 – 2009
Lord Turnbull, Cabinet Secretary, 2002 – 2005
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Thursday 15 January
Major General Graham Binns, General Officer Commanding Multi-National Division South East, Aug 2007 – Feb 2008
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Monday 18 January
Jonathan Powell, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, 2001 – 2007
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Tuesday 19 January
Geoff Hoon, Secretary of State for Defence, 2001 – 2005
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Wednesday 20 January
Mark Lyall-Grant, Director General Political, FCO, 2007 – 2009
Sir David Omand, Permanent Secretary, Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator, 2002 – 2005
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Thursday 21 January
Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 2001 – 2006
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Friday 22 January
Sir Suma Chakrabarti, Permanent Secretary, DFID, 2002 – 2007
Sir Nicholas Macpherson, Permanent Secretary, HMT, 2006 – 2009
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Monday 25 January
Rt Hon Des Browne MP, Secretary of State for Defence, May 2006 – Oct 2008
Rt Hon John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Defence, Oct 2008 – June 2009
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Tuesday 26 January
Sir Michael Wood, Legal Adviser, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2001 – 2006
David Brummell, Legal Secretary to the Law Officers, 2001 – 2004
Elizabeth Wilmshurst, Deputy Legal Adviser, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2001 – 2003
Margaret Beckett MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, May 2006 – June 2007
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Wednesday 27 January
Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith QC, Attorney General, June 2001 – June 2007
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Friday 29 January
Tony Blair, Prime Minister, 2001 – June 2007
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Monday 1 February
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Equipment) 2002 – August 2003; Chief of the Air Staff, August 2003 – April 2006; Chief of the Defence Staff, August 2006 – 2009
Sir Bill Jeffrey, Permanent Secretary, MOD, 2005 – 2009
General the Lord Walker of Aldringham, Chief of the General Staff, 2001 – Feb 2003; Chief of the Defence Staff, May 2003 – April 2006
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Tuesday 2 February
Clare Short MP, International Development Secretary, 2001 – 2003
Hilary Benn MP, International Development Secretary, 2003 – 2007
Sir Peter Ricketts, Permanent Secretary, FCO, 2006 – 2009
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Wednesday 3 February
Sir Kevin Tebbit, Permanent Secretary, MOD, 2001 – 2005
Rt Hon Dr John Reid MP, Secretary of State for Defence, 2005 – 2006
Rt Hon Ann Clywd MP, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Iraq, 2003 – 2009
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Monday 8 February
General Sir John McColl, Senior British Military Representative in Iraq, 2004 – 2005
Jack Straw MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 2001 – 2006
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Friday 5 March
Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, also chancellor 1997-2007
Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development
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Monday 8 March
David Miliband, Foreign Secretary
Sir Bill Jeffrey, Permanent Secretary MOD 2005 – 2009
Post-election Hearings
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Tuesday 29 June 2010
Chairman’s opening remarks
Douglas Brand OBE, Chief Police Adviser to the Ministry of Interior, Baghdad, 2003 to 2004
Sir John Holmes GCVO KBE CMG, HM Ambassador to Paris, 2001 to 2007
Wednesday 30 June
Rt Hon The Lord Jay of Ewelme GCMG, Permanent Under Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2002 to 2006
Iain MacLeod, Legal Counsellor to the UK Mission to the UN, 2001 to 2004
Cathy Adams, Legal Counsellor, Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, 2002 to 2005
Friday 2 July
Bruce Mann CB, Director General Financial Management, Ministry of Defence, 2001 to 2004
Tom McKane, Director General Resource & Plans, Ministry of Defence, 2002 to 2006
Trevor Woolley CB, Director General Resource & Plans, Ministry of Defence, 1998 to 2002 and
Financial Director, Ministry of Defence, 2003 to 2009
Monday 5 July
Sally Keeble, Minister of State, Department for International Development, 2002 to 2003
Tuesday 6 July
Andy Bearpark CBE, Director Operations and Infrastructure in the Coalition Provisional Authority, 2003 to 2004
Martin Howard CB, Director General Operational Policy, MOD, 2004 to 2007
Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, 2007 to 2009; Secretary of State for Defence, 2009
Wednesday 7 July
Sir Richard Dalton, KCMG HM Ambassador to Iran, 2003 to 2006
Sir Geoffrey Adams KCMG, HM Ambassador to Iran, 2006 to 2009
Friday 9 July
Sir Jonathan Cunliffe CB, Managing Director, Financial Regulation & Industry, 2002; Managing Director, Macroeconomic Policy and International Finance, HM Treasury, 2003 to 2007
Mark Etherington, Head of Provincial Reconstruction Team, Basra 2006 to 2007
Monday 12 July
Carne Ross, First Secretary, United Kingdom Mission to New York, 1998 to 2002
Transcript and Statement
Lt Gen Sir James Dutton KCB CBE, General Officer Commanding Multi National Division (South East), 2005; Deputy Chief of Joint Operations (Operations), 2007 to 2009
Wednesday 14 July
General Sir Kevin O’Donoghue KCB CBE, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Health), 2002 to 2004; Chief of Defence Logistics, 2005 to 2007; Chief of Defence Material, 2007 to 2009
John Dodds, Team Leader – Defence, Diplomacy and Intelligence, HM Treasury, 2003 to 2005
Rt Hon The Lord Boateng, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 2002 to 2005
Friday 16 July
Michael Wareing CMG, Prime Minister’s Envoy for Reconstruction in Southern Iraq and Chairman of the Basra Development Commission, 2007 to 2009
Rt Hon Adam Ingram, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, 2001 to 2007
Monday 19 July
Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CB CVO, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel), 2007 to present
Lt Gen Mark Mans CBE, Deputy Adjutant General, 2005 to 2008
Air Marshal David Pocock CB CVO, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel), 2005 to 2007
Tueday 20 July
Baroness Manningham-Buller DCB, Deputy Director General, Security Service until 2002; Director General, Security Service, 2002 to 2007
Maj Gen Andy Salmon CMG OBE, General Officer Commanding Multi National Division (South East), 2008 to 2009
Lt Gen Louis Lillywhite CB MBE QHS, Surgeon General, 2006 to 2009
Wednesday 21 July
Stephen White OBE, Director of Law and Order and Senior Police Adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority, 2003 to 2004
Colin Smith QPM, Senior Police Adviser, Basra, 2005 to 2006
Lt Gen Anthony Palmer CB CBE, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel), 2002 to 2005
Lt Gen Sir Alistair Irwin KCB CBE, Adjutant General, 2003 to 2005
Carolyn Miller, Director Europe, Middle East and Americas, Department for International Development, 2001 to 2004
Friday 23 July
Paul Kernaghan CBE QPM, International Policing portfolio lead, Association of Chief Police Officers for England, Wales & Northern Ireland, 2001 to 2008
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Monday 26 July
Sir Ronnie Flanagan GBE QPM, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, 2005 to 2008
Sir Peter Spencer KCB, Chief of Defence Procurement, 2003 to 2007
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Tuesday 27 July
Lt Gen Sir Robert Fulton KBE, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Equipment Capability), 2003 to 2006
Lt Gen Andrew Figgures CBE, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Equipment Capability), 2006 to 2009
Dr Hans Blix, 1st Executive Chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, 2000 to 2003
Wednesday 28 July
General Sir Richard Dannatt GCB CBE MC, Assistant Chief of the General Staff, 2001 to 2002; Commander in Chief Land Command, 2005 to 2006; Chief of the General Staff, 2006 to 2009
General Sir Mike Jackson GCB CBE DSO DL, Commander in Chief Land Command, 2000 to 2003; Chief of the General Staff, 2003 to 2006
Friday 30 July
Rt Hon The Lord Prescott, First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister, to 2007
Secret hearings
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During the period after the general election campaign, the Inquiry held a number of hearings behind closed doors. Some of these did not take place in public because they included junior officials. However the Inquiry has now published the transcripts of these hearings.
Tuesday 22 June 2010
The view from Baghdad and Basra 2004 to 2006
Lindy Cameron, Head of DFID Baghdad, 2004 to 2005
Simon Collis, Consul General Basra, 2004 to 2005
Tim Foy, Head of DFID Baghdad, 2005 to 2006; Head of PRT Basra and reviewer of PRT 2006
James Tansley, Consul General Basra, 2005 to 2006
Thursday 24 June
The view from Baghdad and Basra 2007 to 2009
Jonny Baxter, Head of DFID Baghdad, 2007 to 2008
Richard Jones, Consul General Basra, 2007 to 2008
Kathleen Reid, Head of DFID Basra, 2007 to 2008
Rob Tinline, Head of PRT Basra, 2007 to 2008
John Tucknott, Deputy Head of Mission Baghdad, 2007 to 2009
September 2010
In October 2010, the Inquiry announced that it had seen two further witnesses in “private” the previous month. It did not give further details or publish transcripts.
Matthew Rycroft, Foreign Affairs Private Secretary to Tony Blair 2002-2004
Sir Nigel Sheinwald, Permanent Representative to the European Union 2000-2003; Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister and Head of the Defence and Overseas Secretariat 2003-2007; HM Ambassador to Washington DC covering the period 2007 to 2009.
2011 hearings
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Tuesday 18 January 2011
Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy GCB CBE DSO, United Kingdom’s Air Component Commander for Operation Telic One, 2003; Chief of Joint Operations, 2004 to 2006; Chief of the Air Staff, 2006 to 2009
Wednesday 19 January
Tom McKane, Deputy Head of Defence & Overseas Secretariat, Cabinet Office, 1999 to 2002
Sir Stephen Wall GCMG LVO, Prime Minister’s Adviser on European Issues and Head of the Cabinet Office’s European Secretariat, 2000 to 2004
Friday 21 January
Tony Blair, Prime Minister, 1997 to 2007
Tuesday 25 January
Lord Wilson of Dinton GCB, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, 1998 to 2002
Lord Turnbull of Enfield GCB, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, 2002 to 2005
Wednesday 25 January
Sir David Richmond KBE CMG, Deputy United Kingdom Special Representative to Iraq, 2003 to 2004; United Kingdom Special Representative to Iraq, 2004; and Director General Defence and Intelligence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004 to 2007
Thursday 27 January
Admiral The Lord Boyce GCB OBE DL, Chief of the Defence Staff, 2001 to 2003
Friday 28 January
Sir Gus O’Donnell KCB, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, 2005 to date
Monday 31 January
Stephen Pattison, Head of United Nations Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2001 to 2003 and Director of International Security, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004 to 2007
John Buck, Director for Iraq, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2003 to 2004
Wednesday 2 February
Rt Hon. Jack Straw MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 2001 to 2006