The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
372.
Reporting a
discussion with Mr Peter Mandelson on 4 December, who
wanted
background
information on Iraq for use in speaking engagements on Middle
East
issues, Mr
McKane recorded that Mr Mandelson had been “particularly interested
in
the
prospects for effective action to unseat Saddam
Hussein”.174
Mr McKane
reported
that he had
“pointed out the legal position, and also the difficulties in
finding an effective
strategy,
whether military or otherwise, to deal effectively with
Iraq”.
373.
In response to
a question about other targets for coalition action in Phase
2,
Mr McKane
reported that he had “sketched out in general terms” the links
between
Usama Bin
Laden and Islamic extremists in other countries.
374.
On 5
December, Mr Straw emphasised the need for Iraq to meet
the
obligations
imposed by the UN, including the re-admission of
weapons
inspectors.
375.
On 5 December,
in a debate in Parliament on the Middle East, following
terrorist
attacks in
Israel, Mr Dalyell asked whether the Government was “doing
everything
possible to
deter certain Americans from the folly of attacking
Iraq”.175
Mr
Straw
responded:
“… The key
to Iraq coming back into the civilised world is for Iraq to
implement
the
undertakings imposed on it by the … Security Council resolutions,
including
the
re-admission of weapons inspectors. I say strongly … that Iraq
continues
to pose
a very serious threat to Arab states, as well as to the state of
Israel, by
its continued
unlawful development of weapons of mass destruction.”
376.
Asked if the
UK took the same view as President Bush that UN inspectors
must
return to
Iraq, Mr Straw told the Foreign Affairs Committee on 5
December:
“Yes.
Saddam Hussein is the architect of the misfortunes of the Iraqi
people …
Iraq poses
a very severe threat in terms of its development and possible use
of
weapons of
mass destruction, of that there can be no doubt. Therefore
restraining
the
development of those weapons … is essential, and to do that we
require proper
377.
Mr Straw added
that the UK had “been in the lead in the United Nations on
seeking
… a more
effective replacement, of … resolution 1284”. The new sanctions
regime might
“With luck”
be in place in six months. That would allow the export of goods to
Iraq for
civilian
use for humanitarian and other purposes, and “more effectively
interdict material
which is
either for military use for weapons of mass destruction, certain
conventional
weapons, or
of dual use”.
174
Minute
McKane to Manning, 4 December 2001, ‘Iraq: Peter
Mandelson’.
175
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 5
December 2001, columns 338-339.
176
Select
Committee on Foreign Affairs, 5 December 2001, Minutes of
Evidence, Qs
47-52.
374