London, January 12: Former British prime minister Tony Blair is to give evidence Jan 21 to the Iraq Inquiry investigating Britain’s role in the six-year Iraq conflict, it was announced Wednesday.
It will be Blair’s second appearance before the inquiry team which has been probing the run-up to the conflict, the 2003 invasion and its aftermath.
Blair, 57, launched a strong defence of his role in the US-led invasion when he first gave evidence to the inquiry a year ago.
Family members who lost relatives in the conflict will be able to attend the inquiry session.
Last year, when pressed repeatedly by the inquiry chairman whether he had anything to say to those who lost loved ones in the conflict, Blair said “no” and added that he had “no regrets”.
Blair handed over power to Gordon Brown after 10 years as prime minister in 2007. He is now a special envoy for the Middle East Quartet comprising the UN, the US, the EU and Russia.
–Agencies