Blair (and Bush) decided to invade Iraq 8 months prior to invasion

Not that it's a surprise, but at least the truth if finding its way out. What appeared to have tipped the balance was the fact that Bush also had firmly made up his mind to invade as well, despite public lies that said otherwise. The only thing keeping him in this election is that the Tories were just as supportive of the war so their own criticism means nothing.

This story also has a Cheney/Bolton aspect to it as it raises the critical problem with Bolton which is his insistence on massaging facts to match policy.

A damning minute leaked to a Sunday newspaper reveals that in July 2002, a few weeks after meeting George Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Mr Blair summoned his closest aides for what amounted to a council of war. The minute reveals the head of British intelligence reported that President Bush had firmly made up his mind to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein, adding that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy".

Mr Blair was challenged on whether he had seen Foreign Office legal advice in a BBC interview with Jeremy Paxman on 20 April. He replied: "No, I had the Attorney General's advice to guide me." In fact, Mr Blair had seen the Foreign Office advice as early as 8 March 2002, in an annex to a secret Cabinet Office "options paper".