LONDON - A forged document purporting to counsel British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the legality of the Iraq war was sent to media in London Friday, while a pre-election debate raged over authentic legal advice given in the run-up to the March 2003 invasion.
The text, which purports to be signed by Attorney General Lord Peter Goldsmith and appears to warn that military action against Iraq would be illegal, is a "complete forgery", Goldsmith's office said.
It said police had been called in to investigate the document, which was sent to news organisations earlier on Friday.
The fake memo appeared to have been sent with the intention of inflaming the debate over authentic advice Goldsmith had given Blair two weeks before the British-US invasion, and which was published on Thursday after its summary was leaked to the media.
Iraq, largely sidelined in the campaign for the May 5 general election, shot to the frontline after the leak, as the opposition and anti-war critics suggested the attorney general had been pressured into supporting Blair's argument for war.
Goldsmith's advice to Blair on March 7, 2003 said the "safest legal course" would be to secure a further UN resolution specifically authorizing the use of force but that a "reasonable case" could be made the resolution was not necessary.
Ten days later, the attorney general told the cabinet and parliament that military action was legal without any further UN resolutions.
The fake memo states that the case for Iraq did not meet the criteria which would enable a foreign power to invade the sovereign country.
"It is important that the implications are understood before proceeding with our American partners in their doctrine for regime-change," the text, purportedly by Goldsmith, read. "I will be justifying what in essence may well turn out to be an illegal war."
"However, this is why it is necessary to grey the lines as much as possible," it added.
The text also hinted that Blair and his attorney general would use the Iraq conflict to "set a precedent for planned future conflicts that have been discussed, like Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia."
04/29/2005 17:05 GMT