The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
“We would
be grateful for any advice which the Attorney General may wish to
give
on the
resolution as currently drafted and would, as ever, be happy to
come over
and discuss
the matter.”
623.
Lord
Goldsmith raised his concerns with Mr Straw on 18
October.
624.
Mr Straw
persuaded Lord Goldsmith not to put his views in writing
until
he had
spoken to Mr Blair.
625.
Mr Straw
told Lord Goldsmith that he accepted a second resolution
would
be needed
“unless circumstances changed”, but he argued that could not
be
acknowledged
publicly for tactical reasons.
626.
Mr Straw
subsequently advised Mr Blair that they should camp on
the
position
they had both taken publicly not to rule out involvement in
military
action if
circumstances required that and, for example, a second
resolution
were to
be vetoed.
627.
Lord Goldsmith
spoke to Mr Jonathan Powell on 17 October to register
his
concerns
about what Mr Blair was reported to have told President Bush
on 14 October.
Mr Powell
suggested that he should speak to Mr Blair.204
628.
Asked how
Mr Powell had responded, Lord Goldsmith was unable to recall
any
further
details of his conversation with Mr Powell than the details in
the record of his
discussion
with Mr Straw the following day.205
629.
Lord Goldsmith
spoke to Mr Straw on 18 October.
630.
Both Ms Adams
and Mr Straw’s Private Office made records of the
conversation.
There is a
considerable difference in emphasis between the two
documents.
631.
Ms Adams
recorded that Lord Goldsmith had told Mr Straw that “he was
concerned
by reports
he had received” that Mr Blair had indicated to President Bush
that “he would
join the US
in acting without a second Security Council decision if Iraq did
not comply
with the
terms of a resolution in the terms of the latest US
draft”.206
204
Note Adams,
21 October 2002, ‘Iraq: Record of Attorney General’s Telephone
Conversation with the
Foreign
Secretary, 18 October’.
205
Statement,
4 January 2011, paragraph 2.6.
206
Note Adams,
21 October 2002, ‘Iraq: Record of Attorney General’s Telephone
Conversation with the
Foreign
Secretary, 18 October’.
312