British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's fate may be sealed later today after a parliamentary committee issues a report, which a newspaper has said will accuse Mr Hoon of "misleading" an investigation into the case for war on Iraq.
The
Evening Standard
yesterday said the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) will say Mr Hoon misled its investigation into the arguments for war in Iraq, an accusation that, if true, could be seen to merit his resignation.
But another newspaper, The Times, said the report will not be as damaging to Mr Hoon as an earlier leak had suggested.
But the media is almost unanimous that Mr Hoon's career will not survive an inquiry into the apparent suicide of weapons scientist Dr David Kelly, who killed himself in July after being named as the source for a reporter's claim that politicians "sexed up" intelligence to justify war.
An inquiry into Kelly's death should conclude in a matter of weeks. Today will see the publication of the findings of a separate, earlier inquiry into the justification for war, carried out by the Intelligence and Security Committee.
The Evening Standard said the committee would accuse Mr Hoon of misleading it by denying that his ministry's spies had expressed doubts about some claims the government made in arguing for war.
The United States and Britain led the invasion of Iraq in March, accusing president Saddam Hussein of developing weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons have been found.