The deaths that Chilcot forgot

British-based project the Iraq Body Count (IBC), which has compiled figures for Iraqi civilian deaths since the 2003 invasion, laid into the inquiry for brushing aside the issue of Iraqi civilian casualties.

IBC claimed the inquiry "obsessed minutely" about infighting between politicians and generals in Whitehall at the expense of anything else.

It said in a statement: "One would almost think that the Iraq war largely took place in Britain."

The group said it received a letter from inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot in November describing the information it had collated as "very useful."

IBC has recorded up to 106,000 violent Iraqi civilian deaths since 2003, although the true figure is expected to be much higher.

This compares to 179 British casualties and 4,400 US casualties.

Now IBC is calling for a separate judicial inquiry into the full extent of Iraqi civilian casualties during the conflict.

Former armed forces minister Adam Ingram even admitted in his evidence to the inquiry last month that the British government should have tried to establish how many Iraqi civilians were killed in the war.

However he claimed that British lives would be at risk if accurate calculations were made about the number of Iraqi deaths.

Chris Nineham, of Stop the War Coalition, said: "We welcome the point raised by IBC and believe the Chilcot Inquiry to be both inadequate and toothless.

"There needs to be a proper investigation into the full damage and destruction caused by former Prime Minister Tony Blair's decisions.

"Another problem with the inquiry is its lack of bringing those responsible to account."

He added that the fact there has not been any serious public reckoning is the reason why hundreds of people will be protesting outside Waterstone's in Piccadilly on September 8 as Mr Blair signs his memoir A Journey.

Left Labour MP for Oldham West and Royton Michael Meacher said he "could well believe" that the Chilcot Inquiry would give extra time to government battles as a means to brush aside the true extent of the Iraqi civilian casualties.

He added: "It would be a serious error on the inquiry's part not to address such issues fully and properly.

"To establish the extent of Iraqi civilian casualties is very important and must be done."

A spokeswoman for the Chilcot Inquiry said: "Throughout its work, the inquiry has been acutely aware of the violence in Iraq which has resulted in the deaths and injuries of so many.

"The drivers for that violence and the British response to it has been a theme throughout the inquiry's investigations."