Britain: Downing Street appeared to rally behind Defence Secretary Mr Geoff Hoon last night as he rejected Conservative calls for his resignation following criticism by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC).
Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw, speaking outside Number 10, insisted Mr Hoon enjoyed "every confidence of the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues" after the ISC found the Blair government's controversial Iraqi weapons dossier "was not 'sexed-up' by Alastair Campbell or anyone else" and that the Joint Intelligence Committee - which was responsible for the dossier - had "not been subject to political pressures".
The report criticised the British government's presentation of intelligence claiming Iraqi capacity to deploy weapons of mass destruction at 45 minutes' notice; and criticised the dossier for failing to highlight "uncertainties and gaps" in the UK's knowledge about Iraq's biological and chemical weapons and the fact that Saddam Hussein was not considered a current or imminent threat to the UK.
The Conservative leader, Mr Iain Duncan Smith, demanded that Mr Hoon quit his post - or that Mr Tony Blair dismiss him - after the ISC criticised his ministry for failing to reveal that two members of Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) had put in writing their concerns about the government's controversial Iraqi weapons dossier.
The ISC said this was "unhelpful and potentially misleading" to its inquiry into the government's handling of intelligence in the run-up to the war in Iraq. And the cross-party committee declared itself "disturbed" by Mr Hoon's subsequent decision "against giving instructions for a letter to be written to us outlining the concerns" raised.
Crucially, however, Mr Hoon had informed the ISC that there had been "a dispute" within the Ministry of Defence during its assessment of the draft Joint Intelligence Committee assessment and before a "collective" view had been formed by DIS.
The ISC did not call for Mr Hoon's resignation and its chairwoman, Ms Ann Taylor, cleared him of misleading her committee. "He did not tell us lies," she said.
In a contrite statement to the House of Commons, Mr Hoon expressed his regret for any confusion caused by his evidence to the inquiry. "I want to make it clear that I had no intention whatsoever in being other than open and straightforward with the committee," he told MPs.
While this cut no ice with the Conservative front-bench, the party's former defence secretary, Mr Michael Portillo, described Mr Hoon's Commons performance as "rather dignified". However, Mr Portillo told BBC Radio 4's PM programme he thought Mr Hoon's departure was becoming "a self-fulfilling prophecy" and suggested Downing Street might be backing him now because he remained the intended sacrifice following Lord Hutton's report.
Referring to the weapons dossier, Liberal Democrat leader Mr Charles Kennedy said: "A sentence contained in the original draft of the prime minister's foreword which reassured the public that Iraq could not launch a nuclear attack on this country was taken out. Why was that sentence removed?"