The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
521.
Pressed by
Mr Beith to answer the question in the light of the very
serious
consequences
of military action before the case for it had been made,
Mr Blair replied
that before
the adoption of resolution 1441, many people had insisted that the
US would
“not bother
with” the UN and “would not give the process a chance to work”.
“That had
not been
the case”. Mr Blair added that “the single most dangerous
thing we could do
at the
moment”, which would in his view “increase the likelihood of
conflict, would be to
send out a
signal of any weakness in our determination to see the mandate laid
out by
the UN
carried through”.
522.
Asked by
Mr Iain Duncan Smith whether the Government’s position was
that a
second
resolution was preferable or, as Ms Short had said, essential,
Mr Blair replied:
“… we want
a UN resolution. I have set out continually, not least in the House
on
18 December
[2002], that in circumstances where there was a breach we went
back
to the UN
and the spirit of the UN resolution was broken because an
unreasonable
veto was
put down, we would not rule out action. That is the same position
that
everybody
has expressed, and I think it is the right position. However … it
is not
merely
preferable to have a second resolution. I believe that we will get
one.”
523.
In response to
further questions from Mr Duncan Smith about differences
within
the
Cabinet, Mr Blair emphasised that the UN route had been chosen
“very deliberately”
because it
was “important” that Saddam Hussein was “disarmed with the support
of the
international
community”. He hoped that the House would unite around the position
that,
if the UN
resolution was breached, “action must follow, because the UN
mandate has to
be
upheld”.
524.
The
Government’s position was that a “second UN resolution” was
“preferable”,
but it
had:
“… also
said that here are circumstances in which a UN resolution is not
necessary,
because it
is necessary to be able to say in circumstances where an
unreasonable
veto is put
down that we would still act.”
525.
Mr Mohammad
Sarwar (Labour) asked whether any breach of resolution
1441
should be a
matter for the weapons inspectors and the Security Council, not
President
Bush and
the US Administration; and whether unilateral US action would be
defying the
United
Nations. Mr Blair replied that the UN inspectors “should be
allowed to do their
job”, but
they had only been able to return to Iraq because of the “firm
stand” that had
been taken.
It was “important” to “continue to send that signal of strength”.
If Saddam
Hussein
believed “for a single instance that the will of the international
community
has abated
… the consequences of either conflict or prolonged conflict” would
be
“increased”.
526.
Asked by
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru) how it could possibly be right to
risk the
lives of
British service men and women “on a venture in Iraq that does not
have the
94