Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday told  that the decision to support the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq was inspired by fears of another, even deadlier, terror attack. He was appearing in front of Britain’s Iraq Inquiry to provide evidences. He insisted that the war was backed by him mainly because of the fact that Saddam had flouted UN resolutions, and not because he wanted a “regime change” in Iraq.

He also admitted that after Sept. 11, Saddam Hussein was never a  bigger threat, but said that  the risk of  weapons of mass destruction reching the terror groups have dramatically changed by the attacks. “The primary consideration for me was to send an absolutely powerful, clear and unremitting message that after Sept. 11 if you were a regime engaged in WMD (weapons of mass destruction), you had to stop.”He added.

Blair denied the charges that a secret pledge was made by US and Britain to support the war during a private meeting with Bush in Crawford. “The only commitment I gave was a commitment to deal with Saddam,” Blair said.

Blair also told in front of the inquiry that even at the last stage he was raising the  issue of going to the UN, but if military action was the right way, we wanted to be “in there right alongside” US.

When asked about exaggerating the content of intelligence reports on Iraq’s supposed weapons of mass destruction, he told that the dossier of intelligence about Iraqi WMD in September 2002, could have been clearer. claims like Saddam could launch WMD within 45 minutes should have been “corrected”.