LONDON (Sputnik) — Sir John Chilcot’s report into the United Kingdom’s part in the Iraq war will be published on July 6, seven years after it was launched, a statement on the public inquiry’s website said Monday.
Last week, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said that the report would not be published until after the national referendum on staying or leaving the European Union, which is set to be held on June 23, as it might affect the voters' decisions.
"Sir John Chilcot and the Prime Minister have agreed that the Iraq Inquiry’s report will be published on Wednesday 6 July 2016," the statement said.
The so-called Chilcot Inquiry has been holding hearings since 2009. The official reason behind the inquiry’s delayed publication is the "Maxwellisation" process, which means that those named in the report have to be given time to prepare for and respond to allegations made in it prior to its release.
The United Kingdom was part of a US-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003, without a UN mandate, after accusing former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein of possessing weapons of mass destruction. However, such weapons were never found in Iraq.
According to the UK Defense Ministry, 179 British soldiers died in the Iraq War.
