The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

219. Mr Ingram said that there was “unanimity in the House on the brutal nature

of Saddam Hussein’s regime”. In relation to the dossier, he commented:

“With such evidence, I am surprised that there are hon. Members who continue

to argue that Saddam Hussein does not now pose an increased threat both to the

stability of the Middle East and on a wider international scale. I fear their opinion

is based more on an entrenched position than on a cool analysis of the facts.”

220. Mr Ingram concluded that he had:

“… no doubt that the country at large will recognise why we have to confront this

issue … [E]very effort must be made to achieve a diplomatic solution … but … the

choice is Saddam’s … There is no middle way. The threat has to be removed or

it will continue to grow.”

221. Mr Michael Martin, Speaker of the House of Commons, described the decision by

64 MPs to vote against a motion to adjourn the House after the debate as demonstrating

“the strength of feeling in some quarters of the House on this difficult issue”.61

222. Mr Cook wrote that he had congratulated Mr Straw on his focus on upholding the

UN and commented that he was “thoroughly impaled on the UN route”. Mr Cook added

that he suspected “some tension between the Foreign Office and Downing Street about

the extent to which the UN can be the only route”.62

223. The corresponding debate in the House of Lords also took place on the afternoon

of 24 September.63 It covered much of the same ground as the Commons, including

strong support for the UN route and for inspections, questions about legality and what

role UK forces might play in military action, concerns about the impact of military action

on the Middle East and the need to plan for what would follow in Iraq if Saddam Hussein

was removed from power.

224. Closing the debate, Lord Bach said:

“The inspectors were very useful and they did a wonderful job. But let us not pretend

to ourselves that somehow the inspectors managed to achieve all that they wanted.

We cannot know all the details of how Saddam Hussein may lash out next time, but

one thing is clear and I believe the House is united upon it. Doing nothing now is just