Just in time for the inquiry

Tony Blair is probably kicking himself for letting Bush force his hand and announcing an inquiry into pre-war intelligence - because the spies are refusing to play scapegoat. Dr Brian Jones, former expert on WMD in the Ministry of Defence's Defence Intelligence Staff, has claimed that intelligence analysts were overruled by their superiors, "resulting in a presentation that was misleading about Iraq's capabilities."

Intelligence chief's bombshell: 'We were overruled on dossier'
Brian Jones: 'There was a lack of substantive evidence... We were told there was intelligence we could not see'

Unfortunately, the Guardian's description of the head of the inquiry as a "safe pair of hands" who is "unlikely to rock the boat" doesn't exactly give much reason for confidence.

(The Guardian also has more on Lord Butler's history and past positions here. Let's make that "no" reason for confidence... the problem with these supposedly "independent" inquiries is that the very people whose decisions are being inquired into get to choose their own judge and decide what can and cannot be investigated. And they wonder why the public has no confidence in the final result...)