"What is now clear is that there are those in this administration that misled the president, misled the nation and misled the world in making the case for the war in Iraq," Dean, a contender for the Democratic party's presidential nomination, said in a statement.

"They know who they are. And they should resign today," he said.

Dean said the resignations would be just the first among several necessary steps of reckoning, as the US public determines how US pre-war intelligence was used earlier this year.

"There will be investigations and the truth will come out," he said.

"The American people must know the truth -- and those in this administration must be held accountable for their failure to give us the truth before we went to war."

"We do not need to wait for the investigations to rid these people from our government," Dean continued.

"They can resign on their own today."

WAR.WIRE