3.6 |
Development of UK strategy and options, November 2002 to January
2003
relevant …
Security Council resolutions … including by giving up its weapons
of mass
destruction”.
He “thought, however, that the House would now appreciate a
more
detailed
statement of the Government’s objectives”.
434.
The “prime
objective” was:
“… to rid
Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their
associated
programmes
and means of delivery, including prohibited ballistic missiles …
as
set out
in UNSCRs. This would reduce Iraq’s ability to threaten its
neighbours
and the
region, and prevent Iraq using WMD against its own people.
UNSCRs
also
require Iraq to renounce terrorism, and return captured Kuwaitis
and property
taken from
Kuwait.”
435.
Iraq’s failure
to comply with the “will of the international community” as
expressed
by the UN
was “thereby perpetuating the threat to international peace and
security”.
436.
Mr Straw
also stated that a “further objective” was “to maintain the
authority
of the
United Nations by demonstrating the Security Council’s effective
response
to the challenge
posed by Iraq’s non‑compliance”; and that “Success in achieving
our
prime
objective should help deter the proliferation of WMD and BM
[ballistic missiles]
more
generally.”
437.
Mr Straw
identified that the six “immediate priorities” were
to:
•
support
UNMOVIC/IAEA inspectors in Iraq;
•
enable
UNMOVIC/IAEA to ensure long‑term Iraqi compliance;
•
maintain
international solidarity behind the UN Security
Council.
•
preserve
regional stability;
•
continue to
make military plans in case military action was needed;
and
•
continue to
support humanitarian efforts to relieve suffering in
Iraq.
438.
The objectives
were based closely on those approved by Mr Blair in October
2002,
as was the
definition of the post‑conflict end state:
“We would
like Iraq to become a stable, united and law abiding state,
within
its present
borders, co‑operating with the international community, no
longer
posing a
threat to its neighbours or to international security, abiding by
all its
international
obligations and providing effective and representative government
to its
own people.”
439.
A reference to
achieving the end state “as rapidly as possible” was omitted.
Other
changes
included the addition of a statement that the objectives were
“consistent with
wider
government policy”, including:
•
“Efforts to
resolve other causes of regional stability, including the
MEPP”;
•
“Wider
political engagement with Arab countries and the Islamic
world”;
79