Sir John Chilcot dead at 82: Civil servant who led the damning inquiry into Tony Blair’s Iraq War dies of kidney disease
- The senior civil servant was chairman of the probe into the failings in Iraq War
- Born in Surrey, he had attended Brighton College and then Pembroke College
- Sir John’s career included being a private secretary to three home secretaries
Sir John Chilcot, who led the damning inquiry into Tony Blair’s conduct surrounding the Iraq War, has died aged 82.
The senior civil servant was chairman of the probe into the failings in the conflict, which killed 179 British personnel and tens of thousands of Iraqis.
Sir John died of kidney disease on Sunday. He is survived by wife Rosalind.
Born in Surrey, he had attended Brighton College and then Pembroke College, Cambridge, before joining the Civil Service in 1963.
Sir John’s career included working as private secretary to three home secretaries
Sir John’s career included working as private secretary to three home secretaries and important contributions to the peace process in Northern Ireland.
His 2.6million-word Iraq report was long delayed, but when it was finally published in 2016 it was excoriating.
Sir John criticised Mr Blair for his handling of ‘flawed’ intelligence, for failing to plan for the aftermath of the invasion, and for secret promises given to George Bush committing Britain to the war eight months before MPs voted on it.
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