The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
297.
Mr Blair
replied: “absolutely”.99
298.
In relation to
the estimate that the chance of a successful operation to produce
a
defector or
a smoking gun was about 20 percent, Mr Powell commented: “Not
good”.100
299.
On the
description of a discussion about a possible presentation of
intelligence
“when
conflict was inevitable”, including overhead photographs of
material being moved
and
intercepts of conversations about deception operations,
Mr Blair wrote “but can’t this
be used to
convince Blix?”101
300.
A separate
copy of the report was sent to Mr Straw’s Private
Office
on 19 December.
301.
In a
statement issued on 18 December Mr Straw said that Saddam
Hussein
had decided
to continue the pretence that Iraq had no WMD programme. If
he
persisted
“in this obvious falsehood” it would become clear that he had
“rejected
the pathway
to peace”.
302.
Mr Straw
issued a statement on 18 December stating:
“We have
not yet completed a full analysis. But it is clear, even on a
preliminary
assessment,
that it is not the full and complete declaration requested … and
we
wish to
hear the views of UNMOVIC and the IAEA.
“There are
some obvious omissions … And it seems that Saddam Hussein
has
decided to
continue the pretence that Iraq has had no WMD programme
since
UNSCOM left
in 1998.
“This will
fool nobody. If Saddam persists in this obvious falsehood, it will
become
clear that
he has rejected the pathway to peace laid down in resolution
1441.
“… we have
always said that we would want the declaration tested by
hard
questions
and robust inspections. As that process continues, we will
complete
a full analysis
of the Iraqi documents.
“Saddam can
be in no doubt by now that resolution 1441 offers him the
final
opportunity
to comply honestly and openly.”102
99
Manuscript
comment Blair on Paper, ‘Iraq: C’s Discussion in Washington
16‑17 December’.
100
Manuscript
comment Powell on Paper, ‘Iraq: C’s Discussion in Washington
16‑17 December’.
101
Manuscript
comment Blair on Paper, ‘Iraq: C’s Discussion in Washington
16‑17 December’.
102
The
National Archives, 18 December 2002, Statement
by Foreign Secretary on Iraq Declaration.
54