As stated in “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry – Executive Summary:” “752. By March 2006, senior members of the UK military were considering the possibility of civil war in Iraq, promoted by rising levels of sectarian violence and concerns that the Iraqi Government was ‘not… perceived as even-handed in security issues’. The risk of civil war had been acknowledged by Prime Minister Ibrahim Ja’afari in the wake of the bombing of the al-Askari mosque in February. Although there was general agreement that the situation in Iraq did not constitute civil war, the risk that one might develop was considered to be real.” [The 15th of the month for date sorting purpose only]
– Commissioned by the Prime Minister The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP, “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry: Executive Summary,” IraqInquiry.org.uk, March 15, 2006