The war was lawful...

An important interview with the Attorny-General of the UK, Lord Goldsmith.

The Attorney General yesterday launched a passionate defence of his advice to Tony Blair that the war against Iraq was legally sound.

He dismissed as "fantasy" widespread claims that Government colleagues had "leant on" him to justify their invasion plans.

Breaking his silence on the affair in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Lord Goldsmith said: "I stand by my conclusion that military action was lawful. That was a judgment I had to reach. I reached it and I stand by it.

"And I want to reject the suggestions that I was leant on, or that this somehow was not my genuine opinion. These suggestions that this was not genuinely my view - these are fantasies and they need to be seen as such."