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Lib Dem leader: inquiry suggests Iraq War was illegal

VIDEO: Nick Clegg tells radio interview that in his view there has been sufficient evidence to sustain claim war was illegal.

05 March 2010 13:04 GMT

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Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says that the Chilcott Inquiry into the Iraq War has provided enough information to suggest that the war was illegal.

Speaking on Radio Tay on Friday morning at the same time Prime Minister Gordon Brown was facing questions at the inquiry in London, he said: "I'm not a lawyer, but my view is that now there is sufficient evidence to sustain the claim that this was illegal."

"A Dutch inquiry into the Iraq war came to the conclusion that it was indeed illegal, and flew in the face of international law.

Lib Dem leader: inquiry suggests Iraq War was illegal

"I played a big role in ensuring the Chilcott Inquiry was set up in such a way that would really hold people like Gordon Brown and Tony Blair to account, I campaigned successfully for the Chilcott inquiry to be held in public, and for Gordon Brown to give evidence.

"It is not a court of law, the Chilcott Inquiry, it was explicitly set up not to determine whether it was illegal or not so that is going to have to happen elsewhere by the lawyers, by the court, but my view is that I have heard enough now to suggest that this wasn't taken in line...and worse, more than that, there is clear evidence which has come out in the Chilcott Inquiry that the Attorney General who is supposed to be the guardian of the legality of doing things was flip flopping from one minute to the next, and there is overwhelming evidence and very serious allegations that he was pressured into keeping silent about his own reservations about the illegality of the war by jack Straw, by Tony Blair and by others.

"That shows the extent that they were prepared to go to silence concerns about the illegality of the war."

He added: "Is there now evidence coming out in the Chilcott Inquiry that concerns about the illegality of the war were sat on?  Yes, that is the big stories of the Chilcott Inquiry so far."

Mr Clegg is in Scotland for the party's conference in Perth, and was speaking ahead of his speech to delegates this afternoon.

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