Iraq War whistleblower film has Bush and Blair in its sights

A British whistleblower responsible for a dramatic leak in the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and now the subject of a Hollywood film hopes it will refocus attention on the flawed evidence that led to war.

Ex-spy Katharine Gun -- the lead character in the new movie "Official Secrets" -- believes the dramatisation could also damage the partially repaired reputations of the UK and US leaders behind the military action.

Former British premier Tony Blair and US president George W Bush were dogged by criticism for years after launching a conflict that ultimately killed hundreds of thousands of people.

But in recent years they appear to have been able to move beyond the issue.

"This film might go some way to redressing that -- let's see," Gun, a former intelligence translator, told AFP ahead of the screening at the London Film Festival this week.

The 45-year-old leaked a top-secret US intelligence memo in 2003 which requested Britain's help in spying on non-aligned UN Security Council members to win a key vote authorising war.

The revelations caused a political storm at the time and saw Gun, who eventually admitted leaking the document, charged with breaching Britain's Official Secrets Act and nearly end up in prison.

She and some of the film's creators hope the movie will highlight again that invading Iraq was justified on the false premise Baghdad had illegal weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

"There's no rehabilitating two leaders who have had to admit that the whole WMD thing was an absolute fabrication and a manipulation and a lie," said director Gavin Hood.

"It's terrible, this rehabilitation of George Bush only because (current US President Donald) Trump seems worse... We've got to stop this nonsense."
"I've subsequently felt that this is an extremely important story that risked being forgotten."