Sister of Irish man who died in Iraq war praises Chilcot report

The family of the only man from the Republic of Ireland to die in the Iraq war has praised the bluntness of the Chilcot report.

Lance Corporal Ian Malone (28), from Ballyfermot, died on April 6th, 2003 in Basra during the Irish Guards' advance on the city.

His family have always maintained that his death was in vain as the invasion had been an illegal one.

His sister Carol Malone said the family was surprised at how honest the Chilcot report was, having assumed that, after seven years waiting, it would be a whitewash.

“We got to the stage when he thought this was just going to be another cover-up,” she said.

‘Pointless war’

“It has confirmed what we already knew - that it was very much a pointless war. They should not have been sent in when there was no weapons of mass destruction,” she said.

Ms Malone said the report also showed how ill-prepared the British soldiers were for the war.

She stated that no action should be taken against the then British prime minister Tony Blair for his decision to go to war in Iraq.

“We do not believe anybody is going to be held responsible for it,” she said. “I would hope from the Chilcot report that serious lessons will be learned for future conflicts.”

Ms Malone said the family still missed Ian, who would have celebrated his 40th birthday in December last year. “We miss him terribly - especially our mother. A part of her went with him when he died.”