The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
683.
The British
Embassy Washington reported overnight that, subject to a final
word
from
President Bush, the US was prepared to “go with” the UK draft and
was gearing
up for
a major lobbying exercise.190
684.
Mr Blair
spoke to President Bush, Mr Berlusconi and Mr Aznar about
tabling
the resolution
in a conference call on 22 February.191
685.
In a
conversation with Prime Minister Aznar, Mr Blair agreed that
the resolution
should be
tabled late on Monday 24 February, after the meeting of the General
Affairs
and
External Relations Council of the EU.192
686.
In response
to the level of concern in the UK, Mr Blair asked for
a
communications
strategy based on the theme of a “last push for
peace”.
687.
Mr Campbell
wrote that, on the morning of 20 February, Mr Blair “was
getting more
and more
worried about Iraq, and with good reason”. He had asked for a
strategy on the
theme of
“the last push for peace”, with a strong media plan to underpin it.
Mr Campbell
had
emphasised the need for a sense that “we were trying to avoid war,
not rush
688.
Dr Rowan
Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal Cormac
Murphy
O’Connor,
the Archbishop of Westminster, issued a joint statement on 20
February about
“the crisis
involving Iraq”.194
Recognising
the “huge burden of responsibility carried by
those who
must make the ultimate decision”, the statement said:
“The events
of recent days show that doubts still persist about the moral
legitimacy
as well as
the unpredictable humanitarian consequences of a war with
Iraq.
“We
recognise that the moral alternative to military action cannot be
inaction …
It is vital
therefore that all sides … engage through the United Nations fully
and
urgently in
a process, including continued weapons inspections, that could
and
should
render the trauma and tragedy of war unnecessary.
“We
strongly urge the Government of Iraq to demonstrate forthwith its
unequivocal
compliance
with UN resolutions on weapons of mass destruction.
“… We must
hope and pray … an outcome that brings peace with justice to
Iraq
and the
Middle East may yet be found.”
190
Washington
Telegram 222 to FCO London, 21 February 2003, ‘Iraq: US Thinking,
20 February’.
191
Letter
Hallam to McDonald, 22 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s
Conversation with President Bush
and Prime
Ministers Aznar and Berlusconi’.
192
Letter
Hallam to McDonald, 23 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s
Conversation with Aznar’.
193
Campbell A
& Hagerty B. The
Alastair Campbell Diaries. Volume 4. The Burden of
Power:
Countdown to
Iraq. Hutchinson,
2012.
194
The Church
of England News Release, 20 February 2003, Joint
statement from Archbishop
and Cardinal.
300