3.2 |
Development of UK strategy and options, January to April 2002 –
“axis of evil” to Crawford
“Of course,
were we ever to take action in respect of Iraq, there would be
an
opportunity
for the House to express its views … However … no decisions have
yet
been taken
about any possible action in respect of Iraq …”
222.
Referring to
Mr Blair’s remarks to the Australian media and the debate
in
Westminster
Hall that morning, Mr Dalyell asked a similar question during Mr
Blair’s
statement
on the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Mr Blair’s
reply
referred to
his answer to Ms Abbott, but he added:
“… it is
important … before anyone takes a position condemning it or
supporting
it [action
on Iraq], we see what the Government propose we should do
…”77
223.
On 6 March, Mr
Scarlett sent Sir David Manning a draft of the paper which
had
been
commissioned on 19 February, setting out the facts “for public use”
on WMD
programmes
of concern in Iraq, Iran, North Korea and Libya.78
224.
The draft
paper was also sent to Sir Richard Wilson, the heads of the
intelligence
Agencies,
and to senior officials in the FCO, the MOD and the Cabinet
Office.
225.
The substance
of the draft paper and its development, including the decision
that
the
document should focused on Iraq and that publication should be
postponed, are
addressed
in Section 4.1.
226.
The minutes
record that Cabinet on 7 March agreed:
•
It was
important that the US did not appear to be acting
unilaterally.
•
It was
critically important to reinvigorate the Middle East Peace
Process.
•
Any
military action taken against President Saddam Hussein’s regime
had
to be
effective.
•
On the
other hand, Iraq was in clear breach of the obligations imposed
by
the UN
Security Council.
•
Iraq’s WMD
programmes posed a threat to peace; and Iraq’s
neighbours
regarded
Saddam Hussein as a danger.
•
The right
strategy was to engage closely with the US Government in
order
to be in a
position to shape policy and its presentation.
77
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 6 March
2002, column 297.
78
Minute
Scarlett to Manning, 6 March 2002, ‘WMD Programmes of Concern –
Unclassified’, attaching
Paper ‘WMD
Programmes of Concern’.
425