By Richard James
.
The man responsible for producing a memo which documented how US president George Bush was willing to go war in Iraq regardless of whether a second UN resolution was secured is due to appear before the inquiry into the conflict today.
Sir David Manning, who served as UK ambassador to the US between 2003 and 2007, is the latest in a series of high-profile figures to give evidence in public to the five-member panel, chaired by Sir John Chilcot.
His infamous secret memo, which summarised a meeting between former prime minister Tony Blair and Mr Bush in January 2003, months before the invasion of Iraq, attracted considerable attention after it was seen by the New York Times.
The note documents how President Bush told Mr Blair he would invade Iraq regardless of whether a second resolution was secured at the United Nations or whether arms inspectors discovered the elusive weapons of mass destruction.
During the discussions, the former US president also raised three possible ways of prompting a war with Iraq, including the controversial suggestions of flying a US spy plane over Iraq painted with UN colours, hoping Saddam Hussein would fire on it.
On Friday Britain's former ambassador to the UN told Sir John's inquiry the 2003 invasion of Iraq had been 'legal but of questionable legitimacy'.
Sir David Manning, who served as UK ambassador to the US between 2003 and 2007, is the latest in a series of high-profile figures to give evidence in public to the five-member panel, chaired by Sir John Chilcot.
His infamous secret memo, which summarised a meeting between former prime minister Tony Blair and Mr Bush in January 2003, months before the invasion of Iraq, attracted considerable attention after it was seen by the New York Times.
The note documents how President Bush told Mr Blair he would invade Iraq regardless of whether a second resolution was secured at the United Nations or whether arms inspectors discovered the elusive weapons of mass destruction.
During the discussions, the former US president also raised three possible ways of prompting a war with Iraq, including the controversial suggestions of flying a US spy plane over Iraq painted with UN colours, hoping Saddam Hussein would fire on it.
On Friday Britain's former ambassador to the UN told Sir John's inquiry the 2003 invasion of Iraq had been 'legal but of questionable legitimacy'.
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