The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
“By the
strength of our common endeavour we achieve more together than
we
can alone.
“For those
people who lost their lives on September 11 and those that mourn
them;
now is the
time for the strength to build that community. Let that be their
memorial.”
131.
Commenting on
the impact of Mr Blair’s speech on 2 October, and in
particular
the
reference to being with the US at the first and staying with them
to the last,
Sir Christopher
Meyer told the Inquiry that, in the weeks after 9/11, Mr
Blair’s:
“…
reputation … was sealed … The man above all other Europeans …
who
expressed
his sympathy for, support for the United States of America in its
hour
of need
with unparalleled eloquence.
“That
speech, and that particular phrase … resonated enormously around
the
132.
Military
action in Afghanistan began on 7 October.
133.
A UK
Government document on the responsibility for the attacks on the US
on
11 September
was issued by No.10 on 4 October.71
On 4
October 2001, No.10 issued a document setting out its conclusions
on responsibility
for the
attacks in the US on 11 September.72
The
document made clear that it was, in part, based on intelligence and
stated:
“The
details of some aspects cannot be given, but the facts are clear
from the
intelligence.
“The
document does not contain the totality of the material known to
HMG, given
the continuing
and absolute need to protect intelligence sources.”
On the
basis of the information and intelligence available, the Government
was “confident
of its
conclusions” that:
“Usama Bin
Laden and Al Qaida, the terrorist network which he heads, planned
and
carried out
the atrocities on 11 September 2001;
“Usama Bin
Laden and Al Qaida retain the will and resources to carry out
further
atrocities;
“the United
Kingdom, and United Kingdom nationals are potential targets;
and
70
Public
hearing, 26 November 2009, pages 22-23.
71
Paper
No.10, 4 October 2001, ‘Responsibility for the Terrorist Atrocities
in the United States,
11
September 2001’.
72
Paper
No.10, 4 October 2001, ‘Responsibility for the Terrorist Atrocities
in the United States,
11
September 2001’.
336