Britain’s former top UN official testifies to Iraq war inquiry on diplomatic failures

Key British diplomat testifies to Iraq inquiry

LONDON — Britain’s top diplomat at the United Nations in the buildup to the 2003 Iraq war is giving evidence to the country’s inquiry into the invasion.

Jeremy Greenstock had pushed for a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have authorized the invasion of Iraq.

Greenstock later served as envoy to Baghdad until 2004, and was critical of Britain’s then Prime Minister Tony Blair. He accused of Blair of failing to focus adequately on postwar planning.

He told a BBC documentary in 2007 that Blair ended up “tearing his hair” at the slow progress of building up Iraq’s security forces.

The inquiry is in its fourth day of public evidence on Friday, and will report findings next year.