It was, however, quite apposite that the Liberty Prize was announced just as the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war made evident the naked contempt that Blair and his cohorts held for the legal advice of Lord Goldsmith, then attorney general, in the run-up to the invasion. On January 30, 2003, the day before Mr Blair was due to fly off for a meeting with President Bush, Goldsmith sent a note reminding the prime minister of his view that a second UN Security Council resolution was necessary before any invasion could be considered legal. Blair scrawled petulantly in the margin: "Just don't understand this", while a cross aide wrote: "Specifically said we did not need further advice on this matter." The next day in Washington, Bush informed Blair that military action would begin with or without a second resolution, and Blair blithely assured the president that he was solidly behind him.