New claims Iraq war 'motivated' London bombings

scotsman: Calls for an independent inquiry into the 7 July London attacks were renewed yesterday, amid claims an official report will cite the Iraq war as a motivating factor for the suicide bombers.

A "narrative", being drawn up by a senior civil servant for the Home Office, will detail events leading up to the atrocity, and blame Britain's foreign policy for radicalising young Muslims, according to a Sunday newspaper.

A draft copy of the document - which was called for by Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, when he resisted demands for an outside inquiry - concludes that Iraq was a "contributory factor", it was reported.

In the weeks after the terrorist attacks on the transport network, government ministers repeatedly played down any links, pointing out the 9/11 attacks on the United States happened before the war.

However, another leaked report apparently shows intelligence chiefs warned before 7/7 that the invasion had "exacerbated" the terror threat. Read more