The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
“The United
States of America will not live at the mercy of any group or regime
that
has the
motive and seeks the power to murder Americans on a massive
scale.
The threat
to America also threatens peace and security in the Middle East and
far
beyond. If
Iraq’s dictator is permitted to acquire nuclear weapons, he could
resume
his pattern
of intimidation and conquest and dictate the future of a vital
region.
“In
confronting this threat, America seeks the support of the world. If
action becomes
necessary,
we will act in the interests of the world. And America expects
Iraqi
compliance
with all UN resolutions.”
875.
President Bush
concluded that the UN Security Council “must maintain
its
unity and
sense of purpose so that the Iraq regime cannot revert to the
strategies of
obstruction
and deception it used so successfully in the past”. The question
for Iraq was
whether to
meet its obligations voluntarily. If it did not, the US was
“prepared for the
alternative”
and the “just demands of the world” would be met.
876.
Secretary
Rumsfeld wrote:
“President
Bush wanted to rally the United Nations to support a US‑led effort
to
enforce the
Security Council’s resolutions. The British Prime Minister, a
persuasive
advocate,
buttressed Bush’s efforts. Bush and Blair, Powell and … Straw
coaxed
and cajoled
the members of the Security Council on the matter. Finally …
the
Security
Council voted 15‑0 to support resolution 1441.”295
877.
Mr Blair
used a speech on 11 November to emphasise the importance
of
dealing
with WMD and terrorism as part of a wider agenda and the
importance
of US
leadership for success.
878.
Commenting on
a draft of his speech to the Lord Mayor’s Banquet at the
Mansion
House on 11
November 2002, Mr Blair set out the elements of the argument
he wanted
to make
about the importance of a shared agenda in international
politics.296
879.
In relation to
Iraq, Mr Blair stated that fighting the new threats, which
crossed all
national
boundaries and were linked to extremism and failed states, needed a
unified
international
community and that depended on a shared agenda:
“The real
reason people worry about Iraq is that they think the US is
solely
concerned
with their issues but no‑one else’s. A shared agenda can only be
based
on a sense
of fair play and justice and of one standard for all. Hence the
importance
of the
MEPP.”
880.
Mr Blair
also commented: “helping failed states recover ie
Afghanistan
or, potentially
Iraq, can’t just be invaded and left”.
295
Rumsfeld
D. Known and
Unknown: A Memoir. Sentinel,
2011.
296
Note Blair
[to No.10 officials], 3 November 2002, [extract ‘Lord Mayor’s
Speech’].
356