3.5 |
Development of UK strategy and options, September to November 2002
–
the
negotiation of resolution 1441
147.
In discussion
a number of points were made:
•
“the
accusation of double standards, particularly in respect of dealing
with Israel,
would be
made, but the … development of weapons of mass destruction
by
Saddam
Hussein presented a quite different order of threat”;
•
“facing the
United Nations with its responsibility for dealing with Iraq
provided an
opportunity”
for the UN “to achieve success”. Iraq’s “defiance of the
international
community
needed a firm response”;
•
“promotion
of multilateral action through the United Nations and our respect
for
international
law” gave the UK’s stance “political legitimacy”;
•
“in the
event of military action a clear vision was required of the outcome
we
wanted in
reconstructing Iraq: this would be a major task”;
•
“the
proportionality of any military action would have to balance the
safety of UK
forces with
the avoidance of civilian casualties”;
•
the impact
on Muslim opinion in the UK “would need to be managed to
preserve
community
cohesion”;
•
the UK had
“a clear role to play in overcoming a tendency in the United
States
towards
unilateralism and in Europe towards anti‑Americanism”;
•
“the Middle
East needed political impetus, as did other international
problems …”
•
“the
international community had to build confidence in democratic
values and
address the
causes of terrorism”; and
•
“solidarity
and resolution backed by the threat of force” would be needed
“to
achieve a
peaceful outcome”.
148.
Summing up the
discussion, Mr Blair said that a “crunch point” had been
reached:
“The
sanctions regime … was being eroded and Saddam Hussein was on the
way to
acquiring
new capability in weapons of mass destruction. Iraq had to comply
with the
obligations
placed on it by the United Nations. A tough line was required. If
military
action was
required, the job could be done. There would be a discussion about
the
military
options … civilian casualties should be kept to a minimum, but
there could
be no doubt
that the main beneficiaries of the removal of Saddam Hussein would
be
the Iraqi
people. Iraq was basically a wealthy country. The international
community
had to be
committed to Iraq’s reconstruction. Progress also had to be made
in
the Middle
East which he had stressed in his contacts with the United
States
Administration.”
149.
Mr Blair
concluded that the UK had to engage with Muslim countries. It also
had
to “deal
with weapons of mass destruction elsewhere as a growing threat to
peace
and security”.
150.
Cabinet “Took
note”.
223