Part of Iraq WMD intelligence was ‘lifted straight from Hollywood movie The Rock’

INTELLIGENCE about WMDs was so flawed that one MI6 report appeared to have information lifted from Hollywood movie The Rock, the Chilcot Inquiry revealed.

Senior spooks were told by a new source that Saddam Hussein’s scientists were carrying chemical agents around in glass containers.

But it bore a striking similarity to a fictional depiction in the 1996 thriller starring Sean Connery.

MI6 sent the information to Tony Blair and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on September 11 and 23, 2002.

The Chilcot Report said: “It was pointed out glass containers were not typically used in chemical munitions and a popular movie [The Rock] has inaccurately depicted nerve agents being carried in glass beads or spheres.”

But the report said Mr Straw still asked about the possibility of the new source “producing silver bullet intelligence” to guide UN inspectors hunting weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Delivering a damning verdict on spy chiefs, Sir John said they had not established beyond doubt that Saddam had new WMD — but allowed Brits to be told he had.

The claims were central to documents produced by Mr Blair’s government making the case for war, including the “dodgy dossier”.

The seven-year probe delivered a damning verdict on spy chiefs’s role in the run up to war in 2003 - which left David Cameron pleading with Brits to keep faith our spooks.

Sir John Chilcot found Saddam Hussein posed “no imminent threat” despite claims at the time he could mobilise weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes.

It was later claimed the intelligence source behind this explosive claim was an Iraqi taxi driver.

He allegedly told spook chiefs he had overheard military chiefs discussing weapons in the back off his cab.

The 45-minute claim was a key piece of intelligence which led the UK into war.

Spooks had “not established beyond doubt” that the Iraqi dictator even had new chemical and biological weapons – but allowed Brits to be told he had.

They had also ruled out the idea that Saddam could develop a nuclear weapon while sanctions were in place, but let a dossier claim a nukes programme was under way.

The claims were all central to documents produced by Tony Blair’s Government making the case for war – including the so-called “dodgy dossier”.

But they were based on “an ingrained belief” among spooks that were based on Iraq’s past behaviour and were never properly challenged to make sure they were true.

Weapons inspector Hans Blix failed to find any WMDs during 700 trips to Iraq.

He repeatedly refuted their existence, despite insistence from America and Downing Street.

BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan published a report based on the alleged testimony of weapons expert Dr David Kelly, claiming the dossier has been exaggerated, or 'sexed-up', to boost the argument for war.

Dr Kelly was ruthlessly grilled over the claims and later found dead near his home, allegedly a victim of suicide.

The Chilcot Inquiry cleared Downing Street of “sexing up” the warnings – blaming the Joint Intelligence Committee for a series of blunders.

In a damning verdict on Chairman Sir John Scarlett’s JIC, Sir John Chilcot said: “As late as 17 March, Mr Blair was being advised by the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons, the means to deliver them and the capacity to produce them.

“He was also told that the evidence pointed to Saddam Hussein’s view that the capability was militarily significant and to his determination - left to his own devices - to build it up further.

“It is now clear that policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments.

“They were not challenged, and they should have been.”

The Inquiry even argued that the term “weapons of mass destruction” was misleading and “created the impression that Iraq posed a greater threat than the detailed JIC Assessments would have supported”.

While the Chilcot Report contained “serious criticisms”, Mr Blair said it showed that “there were no lies, Parliament and the Cabinet were not misled, there was no secret commitment to war, intelligence was not falsified and the decision was made in good faith”.

Former spin doctor Alastair Campbell also said Chilcot proved “there was no ‘sexing up’ of the intelligence”.

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