Fed: PM stands by pre-war intelligence
CANBERRA, Aug 22 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard today stood by Australia's intelligenceagencies as an inquiry began investigating whether the nation was misled about Iraq'sweapons capabilities.
A parliamentary inquiry has begun hearings in Canberra and is taking evidence fromformer UN chief weapons inspector and Tasmania governor-designate Richard Butler and formerintelligence analyst Andrew Wilkie.
Mr Howard said he still believed the intelligence he received justified going to war in Iraq.
He said the government never asked for intelligence material to be distorted.
"Do I remain of the view that the assessment we made in relation to Iraq's weaponscapacity at the time was justified - yes," Mr Howard told Melbourne Radio 3AW.
"We didn't ask that the intelligence material be distorted."
Intelligence agencies could never provide clear cut proof, only analysis, Mr Howard said.
"I made and my colleagues made a bona fide judgment based on the assessments that existedat the time," he said.
"And in fairness to our intelligence agencies, we have to keep reminding ourselvesintelligence can never provide absolute proof.
"All intelligence can do is to make assessments and indicate likely scenarios and possibleand probable outcomes but they can never say we are absolutely certain that the followingis going to happen."
AAP sal/sb/sco/jlw
KEYWORD: WMD HOWARD
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