Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday that Britain was right to go to war in Iraq, despite an official investigation that criticized British intelligence about Saddam Hussein's weapons.

　　During a speech and a lively debate in London's House of Commons about the war, Blair conceded there had been errors, but he insisted it had not been a mistake to enter the US-led conflict.

　　He said overall intelligence at the time had left "little doubt" about Saddam's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

　　Political opponents said, however, that Blair's confident assertions before the war that Iraq had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction were misleading, when intelligence was patchy at best.

　　Conservative Party leader Michael Howard said there was an alarming gap between intelligence that was "sporadic, patchy, little and limited" and Blair's pre-war statements that said it was "extensive detailed and authoritative".

　　The inquiry, led by Lord Butler, last week concluded British intelligence on Iraqi weapons was flawed, but said the government had not deliberately deceived anyone as it built a case for toppling Saddam.

　　It was the fourth such inquiry to clear the government of the Iraqi threat, and Blair yesterday claimed vindication.

　　"It was absolutely clear that he (Saddam) had every intention to carry on developing these weapons, that he was procuring materials to do so," said Blair. In terms of ballistic missiles, Saddam was going "way beyond" what he was allowed to do under UN resolutions.

　　Blair said lessons would be learned from Butler's report.

　　Future intelligence dossiers drafted by the government would include caveats about the limits of intelligence, he said. Britain's foreign intelligence service MI6 also has appointed a senior officer to work through Butler's findings and recommendations, Blair said.

　　Butler criticized the informal nature of Blair's government, in which key discussions are often held in his private office, without formal minutes being taken by anyone.

　　Blair said in the future, informal meetings involving spy chiefs and the ministers responsible for defense and foreign affairs would be held "formally as an ad hoc committee of Cabinet".

　　(The Associated Press)