Straw: UK ministers had 'great anxiety' over Iraq

[February 02, 2011]  LONDON (AP) -- Britain's ex-foreign secretary says he repeatedly warned then-Prime Minister Tony Blair that promoting regime change in Iraq could be illegal.

Straw, in charge of U.K. foreign policy between 2001 and 2006, told the country's inquiry into the Iraq war on Wednesday that he "made that point in quite categorical terms." Straw was addressing the five-member panel for a second time in its final hearing. The inquiry began in November 2009, tasked with learning lessons from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Straw acknowledged that Blair's Cabinet did not hold detailed discussions before Parliament was asked to vote to approve Britain's role in the war. He said there was "great anxiety" among ministers about President George W. Bush's intentions in the months leading up to the conflict. [Associated Press] Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.