Head of Britain's Iraq war inquiry says it's impossible to say when report will be published

In this screen shot, Iraq Inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot gives evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday Feb. 4, 2015. The man leading an inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war says he can't estimate when his long-delayed report might be published. John Chilcot was pressed by a committee of lawmakers about the publication date for his report. He began his inquiry in 2009 and heard from the final witness in 2011. Last month Chilcot conceded that his report would not be published before Britain's national election in May and on Wednesday he said "it's impossible to say" when it would be ready and he didn't want to raise false hopes. (AP Photo/PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Thursday July 30, 2009 file photo, John Chilcot, center, the chairman of the Iraq Inquiry, sits with committee members Baroness Usha Prashar, left, Roderic Lyne, second left, Martin Gilbert, second right, and Lawrence Freedman as he takes questions from journalists after outlining the terms of reference for the inquiry and explaining the panel's approach to its work during a news conference to launch it at the QEII conference centre in London. The man leading an inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war says he can't estimate when his long-delayed report might be published. John Chilcot was pressed by a committee of lawmakers about the publication date for his report. He began his inquiry in 2009 and heard from the final witness in 2011. Last month Chilcot conceded that his report would not be published before Britain's national election in May and on Wednesday Feb. 4, 2015, he said "it's impossible to say" when it would be ready and he didn't want to raise false hopes. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File) (The Associated Press)

The man leading an inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war says he can't estimate when his long-delayed report might be published.

John Chilcot was pressed by a committee of lawmakers about the publication date for his report. He began his inquiry in 2009 and heard from the final witness in 2011.

Last month Chilcot conceded that his report would not be published before Britain's national election in May.

On Wednesday he said "it's impossible to say" when it would be ready and he didn't want to raise false hopes.

The release was initially stalled by wrangling over the inclusion of classified material, including conversations between then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush.

It is being further delayed to give individuals it mentions a chance to respond.