GREEN EURO-MPs Jean Lambert and Caroline Lucas have added their voices to calls for a public inquiry into the government's decision to go to war with Iraq after weapons inspectors reported today they had found no evidence of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
"The Iraq Survey Group's report reveals the Government's case for war - to pre-empt the danger posed by Saddam's apparently non-existent chemical, biological and nuclear weapons - was based on either flawed intelligence or deliberate deception," said Dr Lucas, Green MEP for South-East England and vice-president of the European Parliament's inter-group on peace.
"More than 20,000 have died as a direct result of this war, including more than 350 British and American troops to whom Saddam posed no threat whatsoever," said London Green MEP jean Lambert.
"The Government musn't be allowed to get away with putting people's lives on the line on the basis of wishful thinking."
The MEPs made her comments after the Iraq Survey Group confirmed its extensive searches has revealed no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
"As the evidence before the Hutton Inquiry - and now the Iraq Survey Group's report - has made clear, this war was based on either incompetence, lies, or both," said Dr Lucas.
"The Government must now allow a full, public inquiry in whether Parliament
and the British people were deliberately misled over the reasons for going
to war, and those responsible for any deception must be held accountable for
the consequences of their actions," said Mrs Lambert.
ENDS
For more information please contact Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 07973
823358 or press@greenmeps.org.uk