The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
344.
In his memoir,
Mr Cook wrote that he had offered three suggestions for
how
“we should
conduct ourselves if we are going to reconnect with the
public”:
“We could
stop appearing to force the pace on the war. The public will only
follow
us if
they believe we are reluctant about conflict …
“We need to
find a distinctive British tone in which we address the Iraq
crisis.
We should
stop appearing as the US and UK axis.
“We should
stick to the UN like glue. If tomorrow Hans Blix asks for more
time
for
inspectors, he must get it. If we depart from the UN process we
shall be
345.
Mr Campbell
wrote that there was also a meeting with Mr Straw on tactics
for the
second
resolution and whether it should be tabled before the European
Council.96
346.
Sir David
Manning and Dr Rice discussed the next steps and tactics and
timings
on 13
February, including concerns about a possible Franco-German
initiative.97
347.
Sir David told
Dr Rice that the UK preference was to wait to table a
second
resolution
until after the special EU Council on Iraq, unless circumstances
dictated
an earlier
date.
348.
In the meeting
of the Security Council the following day, the UK aim was to
move
the
discussion away from process and focus it on substance: “The best
bet seemed to
be to put a
series of very tough questions to Blix about Iraqi performance and
insist on
very clear
answers.” The UK did not want “Saturday’s headlines being about
calls in the
Security
Council to give the inspectors more time”.
349.
In his record
of the discussion, Sir David commented: “We should also have a
draft
resolution
in our back pockets, ready to put down at a moment’s
notice.”
350.
Mr Tony
Brenton, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy
Washington,
wrote to
Sir David Manning on 13 February stating:
“Sitting in
on Mr Hoon’s meetings with Condi Rice and Don Rumsfeld
[Mr Donald
Rumsfeld,
US Secretary of Defense] yesterday I was very struck by how the
military
timetable
is now driving the diplomatic end game.”98
95
Cook
R. The Point
of Departure. Simon
& Schuster UK Ltd, 2003.
96
Campbell A
& Hagerty B. The
Alastair Campbell Diaries. Volume 4. The Burden of Power:
Countdown
to Iraq.
Hutchinson,
2012.
97
Letter
Manning to McDonald, 13 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Conversation with
Condi Rice’.
98
Letter
Brenton to Manning, 13 February 2003, ‘Iraq: The
Timetable’.
240