Demonstrators hold a banner outside the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, in central London. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared before an inquiry into the Iraq War, headed by former civil servant John Chilcot, for a second public grilling to clarify earlier evidence detailing his reasons for joining the controversial invasion. Photo: Reuters
Demonstrators hold a banner outside the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, in central London. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared before an inquiry into the Iraq War, headed by former civil servant John Chilcot, for a second public grilling to clarify earlier evidence detailing his reasons for joining the controversial invasion. Photo: Reuters
A demonstrator wears a Tony Blair mask outside the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in central London. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared before an inquiry into the Iraq War, headed by former civil servant John Chilcot, for a second public grilling to clarify earlier evidence detailing his reasons for joining the controversial invasion. Photo: Reuters
Protesters demonstrate against former British Prime Minister Tony Blair outside the venue where the Iraq inquiry is being held, in central London. Blair was making a humbling return to the country's inquiry into the Iraq war, after witnesses raised doubts about sections of his testimony from a year ago - when he made a defiant defense of the decision to topple Saddam Hussein. Photo: AP
Former British prime minister Tony Blair. Photo: Reuters
Protesters demonstrate against former British Prime Minister Tony Blair outside the venue where the Iraq inquiry is being held, in central London. Blair was making a humbling return to the country's inquiry into the Iraq war after witnesses raised doubts about sections of his testimony from a year ago - when he made a defiant defense of the decision to topple Saddam Hussein. Photo: AP
Former British prime minister Tony Blair, flanked by his bodyguards, leaves the inquiry into the Iraq war after giving evidence for the second time in London. Blair returned to testify for a second time before a five-member panel scrutinizing Britain's role in the unpopular war - having been recalled after witnesses raised doubts about sections of his testimony at an initial appearance a year ago. Photo: AP
A protestor wearing a Blair mask takes part in a demonstration against former British Prime Minister Tony Blair outside the venue of the inquiry into the Iraq war in London. Blair returned to the inquiry after witnesses raised doubts about sections of his testimony from a year ago when he made a defiant defence of the decision to topple Saddam Hussein. Blair arrived several hours before he was due to give evidence to the five-member inquiry panel, as a group of about 100 anti-war demonstrators gathered outside London's Queen Elizabeth II conference center to denounce the former leader's decision to join the 2003 US-led invasion. Photo: AP
British police officers stand guard near a protest against former British Prime Minister Tony Blair outside the venue of the Iraq inquiry in central London. Tony Blair has been recalled to the Iraq inquiry to answer and clarify questions relating to the war in Iraq. Photo: AP
A demonstrator holds up a placard as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair leaves the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre after giving evidence for the second time to the Iraq Inquiry in London. Blair promised he would back the United States in taking action against Saddam Hussein almost a year before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Photo: Reuters
A demonstrator wearing a Tony Blair mask gestures during a protest outside the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blairl appeared before an inquiry into the Iraq War, headed by former civil servant John Chilcot, for a second public grilling to clarify earlier evidence detailing his reasons for joining the controversial invasion. Photo: Reuters
A still image from video shows former British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaking at an inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq War at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in central London. Blair appeared before the inquiry, headed by former civil servant John Chilcot, for a second public grilling to clarify earlier evidence detailing his reasons for joining the controversial invasion. Photo: Reuters
A protester holding a painting depicting former British Prime Minister Tony Blair draped in a US flag, demonstrates outside the venue where the Iraq Inquiry is being held, central London. Blair was making a humbling return to the country's inquiry into the Iraq war after witnesses raised doubts about sections of his testimony from a year ago - when he made a defiant defense of the decision to topple Saddam Hussein. Photo: AP
Published Jan 21, 2011
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Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will appear before an inquiry into the Iraq War for a second public grilling on Friday to clarify his earlier evidence detailing his reasons for joining the invasion. Blair, who sent 45 000 British troops as part of the US-led invasion in 2003, told the London inquiry in his first appearance that Saddam Hussein had been a threat to the world who had to be removed or disarmed.
He also said he had no regrets about the military action, a comment that angered some of the relatives of the 179 British soldiers killed in Iraq.
