LONDON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Former British prime minister Tony Blair said he will "take full responsibility for any mistakes without exception or excuse" over the Iraq war, after the publication of a long-awaited inquiry into the war on Wednesday.
Speaking before the publication of the report, the chairman of the inquiry John Chilcot said Britain went to war before all peaceful options had been exhausted.
He also said that the legal basis for British military action in Iraq was "far from satisfactory," stressing that British policy on Iraq was made on the basis of "flawed intelligence and assessments."
In response to the publication of the report, Blair said "the report does make real and material criticisms of preparation, planning, process and of the relationship with the United States."
"These are serious criticisms and they require serious answers," he said in a statement.
He also announced that he will respond in detail to the criticisms later on Wednesday.
