3.4 |
Development of UK strategy and options, late July to 14 September
2002
“That is
why … France advocates a demarche made completely legitimate
through
collective
deliberation. It requires two successive steps. First, we must
together
reaffirm
the need for United Nations inspectors to return and demand that
Iraq
comply at
last with its obligations under the Security Council decisions
taken
since 1991,
and to do so according to a definite timetable … If Baghdad
persists
in its
refusal to allow the inspectors to return unconditionally, then
there must be
consequences.
The Security Council should then decide measures to be
taken
without
excluding any option. Responsibilities would be clarified. The
world must be
able to
act. But it must also be coherent and effective, in a sustained
way. That is
today the
real challenge to our values, and to our democracies.”
559.
Mr Blair
spoke to President Chirac on 13 September to discuss the
UN
resolution.169
Mr Blair
emphasised the need for a tougher inspections regime. He
said
that Saddam
Hussein had to understand that there would be action against him if
he
did not
comply: “unless Saddam thought we were serious there was no chance
of him
complying”.
560.
Mr Blair
and President Chirac also discussed the need to be clear when
the
inspectors
had finished their work “either because WMD had been discovered
and
destroyed
or because there was no WMD”. Mr Blair said that he would
think about
the two
resolutions route (a return to the Security Council in the event of
Iraq’s
non‑compliance).
561.
Russia and
China emphasised the importance of dealing with Iraq
through
the
instruments of the UN and in accordance with international
law.
562.
In his speech
on 13 September, Mr Igor Ivanov, the Russian Foreign
Minister,
made only a
brief reference to Iraq. In a passage in his speech on regional
conflicts he
stated:
“Experience
shows that no matter how complex international crises and
conflicts
may be,
whatever challenges and threats they may be fraught with, they can
be
settled
with the aid of United Nations instruments and on the basis of
international
law. This
fully applies to the situation around Iraq, which has long required
political
settlement
in strict compliance with the Security Council
resolutions.”170
563.
Mr Tang
Jiaxuan, the Chinese Foreign Minister, stated that:
“Counter‑terrorism
should be pursued on the basis of international law and of
the
norms of
international relations, allowing the United Nations and its
Security Council
to play a
leading role … Efforts should be made to prevent the arbitrary
enlargement
169
Letter
Rycroft to Sedwill, 13 September 2002, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s
Phone Call with Chirac,
13
September’.
170
UN General
Assembly, ‘Fifty-seventh session Friday 13 September 2002’
(A/57/PV.5).
189