3.5 |
Development of UK strategy and options, September to November 2002
–
the
negotiation of resolution 1441
604.
Mr Hoon
also sent his minute to Mr Brown, Mr Straw and Sir Andrew
Turnbull.
605.
The background
to that request, the detailed arguments set out by Mr Hoon,
the
advice for
Mr Straw and the immediate reaction in No.10, are addressed in
Section 6.1.
606.
In relation to
the discussion of military options, Mr Rycroft recorded that
Mr Hoon
and Adm
Boyce had:
“… set out
the options, as in the Defence Secretary’s minute … of 15 October.
CDS
[Adm Boyce]
put the military arguments for agreeing to Package 3. But if we
were
to end up
agreeing on Package 2, it would be better to tell the US now. The
Foreign
Secretary
said that the international case for Package 3 was
strong.”196
607.
Mr Blair
took “these points” but:
“… remained
concerned about the costs. He concluded that he wanted to keep
open
the option
of Package 3. But we must not commit to it at this
stage.”
608.
The meeting
also “agreed that there must be no leaks and no public
announcements
(for instance any notices to Reserves) until after the first UN
resolution
had passed
and after a further discussion” with Mr Blair.
609.
Copies of
Mr Rycroft’s record of the discussion on military options were
sent to
the Private
Offices of Mr Hoon, Mr Straw, Mr Brown and Sir
Andrew Turnbull, and to
Mr Desmond
Bowen, Deputy Head of OD Sec.
610.
The
discussion on Iraq recorded at Cabinet on 17 October, which
focused
on other
foreign policy concerns, was brief.
611.
The minutes
record that Cabinet on 17 October was informed that
discussions
continued
amongst the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council on a
resolution
on Iraq.
The right balance had to be struck and progress was being
made.197
612.
Mr Campbell
wrote that the discussion at Cabinet “was almost all
foreign”,
including
on the Middle East Peace Process, India and Pakistan, the
bombings
in Bali and
the risk of further attacks.198
There had
also been a discussion of the
firefighters’
strike.
196
Letter
Rycroft to Watkins, 17 October 2002, ‘Iraq: UK Military
Options’.
197
Cabinet
Conclusions, 17 October 2002.
198
Campbell A
& Hagerty B. The
Alastair Campbell Diaries. Volume 4. The Burden of Power:
Countdown
to
Iraq. Hutchinson,
2012.
309