Exhibit 390

The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Section 3.4 (Sir Richard Dearlove's account of the 23 July 2002 meeting)

Exhibit 390 · Public inquiry report

The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Section 3.4 (Sir Richard Dearlove's account of the 23 July 2002 meeting)

In relation to his “alleged comment” about the intelligence being fixed around the policy, Sir Richard told the Inquiry that this was really a reference to the attempts “to join up terrorism and Iraq” with which he “radically disagreed”.

Records Dearlove's evidence (paras 349-356): his remark concerned attempts to link terrorism and Iraq, he might have used the word 'fitted', and he sought an amendment to the minute.

Source: The Iraq Inquiry (Chilcot)
Date: 6 July 2016
Quoted from: Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Volume II, Section 3.3 ('Development of UK strategy and options, April to July 2002'), para. 351
Grade: Primary record
Document: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80b6a640f0b62302695161/The_Report_of_the_Iraq_Inquiry_-_Volume_II.pdf
Accessed: 2026-11-09
Cited by: Findings citing this exhibit
Note: Mirror site, not the official PDF.

Cited by

Finding DEF-2.7: Reported A copy of a British minute of 23 July 2002, first published in 2005, records the head of the Secret Intelligence Service reporting from Washington that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy." The officer, Sir Richard Dearlove, told the Iraq Inquiry that he was describing attempts to link terrorism and Iraq.