Butler Report Disappoints

We had some hope over the weekend that the Butler Report, unlike the Senate Report, might have some teeth on pre-war Iraqi intelligence. The teeth were not very sharp as it turns out, Report Says British Data on Iraq Was Flawed, Not Distorted.

The report by Lord Butler, formerly Britain's top civil servant, castigated failures both in British intelligence-gathering and the use the government made of intelligence to justify the war, in effect contradicting Britain's rationale for the invasion. But it did not single out culprits for blame, softening the likely political damage for Prime Minister Tony Blair, the closest ally of President George W. Bush in the Iraq campaign.

"We have no reason, found no evidence, to question the prime minister's good faith," Lord Butler told a news conference.

At least Blair did take some responsiblity unlike ar leedr who can't admit responsiblity for anything.