Questions over whether Blair and Bush made late night deal to finally be answered
THE full details of what really happened at George W Bush’s infamous private meeting with Tony Blair at his Texas ranch may finally be released today.
The controversial summit between the two former world leaders attracted criticism for being held behind closed doors and without advisers.
It was claimed that during this cosy get-together then Prime Minister Blair gave his backing to a US invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein with or without UN approval.
Both men have since denied that this was the case but the meeting continues to be at the forefront of the controversy surrounding the US led invasion.
The official report into the UK’s involvement in the Iraq War will be released this morning and the former PM is among officials set to be roasted by Sir John Chilcot.
It is hoped the inquiry will answer questions about what exactly happened that night as the "gists" of personal notes exchanged between Mr Blair and Mr Bush will be made public.
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Tony Blair had arrived at Crawford Ranch in April 2002 to discuss the future of the Middle East with the then US president.
It was here that the contentious meeting behind closed doors would take place.
Blair had been with Sir David Manning, his foreign policy adviser, Jonathan Powell, his chief of staff, and spin doctor Alastair Campbell.
Blair’s wife Cherie, their son Leo and his mother-in-law were also there over the weekend.
But the two men decided to hold a crunch meeting without any aides.
The British ambassador to the US at the time, Sir Christopher Meyer, later told the Chilcot inquiry that because he was not present at the crunch meeting he was “not entirely clear to this day . . . what degree of convergence was, if you like, signed in blood at the Crawford ranch”.
Blair has since denounced the “myth” that he signed up to regime change at Crawford.
And Mr Bush wrote: “Tony and I talked about coercive diplomacy as a way to address the threat from Iraq . . . Tony suggested that we seek a UN Security Council resolution that presented Saddam with a clear ultimatum: allow weapons inspectors back into Iraq or face serious consequences. I didn’t have a lot of faith in the UN . . . but I agreed to consider his idea.”
According to diplomatic sources, Sir Christopher did ask other officials what Mr Bush and Mr Blair had discussed on Iraq but they professed not to know.
Members of Mr Bush’s team later hinted that Mr Blair had agreed that whatever was decided in removing Saddam he would back the White House.
Mr Blair ordered the invasion when he was Labour PM and has since admitted to errors.
Aides refused to say if he will offer a full apology when the report is finally released later today.