Sir, Lord Hutton (letter, Nov 3) reminds us of his conclusion that the government did not order the case for war in Iraq to be “sexed up”. Anyone listening to Andrew Gilligan’s words in that unforgettable broadcast, but without the luxury of a period of reflection and the benefit of legal analysis, would have reached the conclusion that “sexed up” simply meant exaggerating or embellishing the intelligence available.

Lord Hutton was presented with evidence from John Scarlett, then chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, that the WMD believed to be held by Iraq were “battlefield munitions” such as “artillery shells”. They were not strategic but of a defensive nature.

The Prime Minister, in his foreword to the assessment of Iraq’s capability presented to Parliament on September 24, 2002, asserted that Iraq’s WMD threatened the “stability of the world”. The clear impression given by the document was that Saddam Hussein’s regime had an offensive capacity greater than the intelligence indicated.

The reasonable listener could be forgiven if he concluded that the assertions in the document did amount to an exaggeration or embellishment of the available intelligence.

RICHARD OTTAWAY, MP
Member, Foreign Affairs Select Committee 2003-05 (C)

Sir, Lord Hutton says that he stands by his report (letter, Nov 3). People forget that judges are human, with views shaped by their circumstances and prejudices. As the late Lord Salmon used to say about divorce (in the old days): “Don’t waste time arguing before a dog-hating judge that it is cruelty to kick the dog, or before a dog lover that it isn’t.”

Lord Hutton was selected for the task by the Government. As a member of the Northern Irish Protestant ascendancy who had dealt with security cases there (for the Government), his conclusions, and adherence to them, were predictable. Any conclusions tending to undermine the established Government would have been very surprising.

Protection against judge partiality has always been the Court of Appeal. There was no right of appeal in this instance. The evidence that Lord Hutton heard is available to be read by all: they can reach their own conclusion. It is the evidence and not his view of it that will be weighed by history.

PATRICK PHILLIPS, QC
Long Melford, Suffolk

Sir, Saddam Hussein is to hang. Arguably, nobody deserves it more. Yet civilisation is always undermined by the passing of every death sentence.

GEORGE BARBOUR
London SW7

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