<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Newly released cabinet documents have shed light on Australia's ill-advised decision to become involved in the Iraq war more than 20 years ago.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A dump of once-sealed documents from 2004 today reveal the Howard government was warned to prepare for the potential an Australian could be taken hostage as the war raged on in Iraq.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia committed troops to Iraq in 2003 in the US-led invasion based on wrong information, but it was not a "malicious" decision, former prime minister John Howard said.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/south-korea-plane-crash-jeju-air-crash-youngest-victim-identified/139020bc-50f4-49af-9e81-f1515a369191" target="_blank" title="Youngest victim of South Korea crash was toddler on first trip overseas"><strong><span>Youngest victim of South Korea crash was toddler on first trip overseas</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The trove of records included papers from the powerful National Security Committee, with information on matters including Iraq, defence procurement, relations in the region and the threat of terrorism.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Among them is a warning letter from then-foreign minister Alexander Downer, detailing "contingency plans should an Australian fall victim to a hostage-taking incident".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The plans were based around the belief the regime had weapons of mass destruction, which was disproved in January 2004.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/federal-politics-cabinet-papers-releases-reveal-australian-involvement-in-iraq-war/ad322498-87bf-48ec-abbe-17cd42a9f976" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ahead of the cabinet papers release, Howard said the failure of US intelligence, which convinced Australia to take part, came as a blow.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was done in good faith, it was based on all the available intelligence and we found the plans, we found the programs to build them, but not the stockpiles," Howard told reporters in December.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We were wrong, in fact, but not maliciously."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/two-men-die-in-washington-state-forest-while-hunting-bigfoot/d508d150-5c4a-4859-b956-d673b17118f9" rel="" target="_blank" title="Two men hunting for Bigfoot found dead in forest"><strong><span>Two men hunting for Bigfoot found dead in forest</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Bush administration in the US conceded its pre-war justification for invasion in Iraq was unfounded in January 2004.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian cabinet documents are unsealed on January 1 after 20 years and shared publicly by the National Archives.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>