The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

to that meeting. He talked about what would happen on the day after … so …

he … listed all the right questions …” 225

585. The issue of conditions for military action and how those were interpreted by

Mr Blair and others is addressed in Section 3.3.

586. Mr Hoon told the Inquiry, that Afghanistan was the main pre-occupation at that

time.226 In his view, “The sense that this was all about Iraq, in my recollection, was

wrong.”

587. Mr Blair told the Inquiry that there had been “a general discussion of the

possibility of going down the military route but obviously, we were arguing for that

to be if the UN route failed”.227

588. President Bush wrote that he and Mr Blair had:

“… talked about coercive diplomacy as a way to address the threat from Iraq. Tony

suggested that we seek a UN Security Council resolution that presented Saddam

with a clear ultimatum: allow weapons inspectors back into Iraq, or face serious

consequences. I didn’t have a lot of faith in the UN. The Security Council had

passed sixteen resolutions against Saddam to no avail. But I agreed to consider

his idea.” 228

589. Dr Rice wrote that President Bush and Mr Blair had “had an extended discussion

about Iraq and the need to do something about Saddam. The President was clear that

Saddam had to fear the international community if he was ever going to comply. He and

Blair found common ground in that assessment …” 229

590. In their press conference on 6 April, President Bush and Mr Blair both

mentioned WMD in their introductory remarks, but neither mentioned Iraq

specifically. Iraq was, however, raised in many of the questions.

591. President Bush stated:

• He and Mr Blair both agreed Saddam Hussein had to prove he was not

developing WMD.

• US policy was regime change and all the options were on the table.

• Mr Blair understood that Saddam Hussein could not be allowed to “hook

up” with a terrorist network.

225 Public hearing, 18 January 2010, page 26.

226 Public hearing, 19 January 2010, page 30.

227 Public hearing, 29 January 2010, page 59.

228 Bush GW. Decision Points. Virgin Books, 2010.

229 Rice C. No Higher Honour. Simon & Schuster, 2011.

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