3.7 | Development of UK strategy and options, 1 February to 7 March 2003

but since he knows that Bush will go to war whatever the UN says, Tony’s attempt

to wrap himself in the UN flag is fatally hobbled by his inability to say that the UN

will have the last word.”234

776. Mr Cook added that Mr Blair’s exchanges with backbenchers had “clearly laid out

the nexus of issues which have brought him to his present conviction”. That was that

“proliferation, plus unstable states plus terrorism adds up to a new and serious threat”.

That was:

“… a way of linking action against Saddam to the response to 9/11, and avoids the

irritating evidence that Saddam has no link whatsoever to 9/11 and has no link with

Al Qaida. But it does still leave unanswered why Iraq is the focus of so much effort.

Whatever else we may say about the Iraqi regime, it is not unstable …”

777. Asked by Mr Duncan Smith during PMQs on 26 February whether he would

support action in the absence of a majority in the Security Council, Mr Blair responded

that he believed that there would be support for a second resolution.235

778. Mr Blair subsequently stated that he was “working flat out” to achieve a second

resolution, and that the best way to do that was “to hold firm to the terms of resolution

1441”. That required “full, unconditional and immediate compliance” from Iraq, and was

intended “genuinely to be the final opportunity” for Saddam Hussein.236

779. The House of Commons was asked on 26 February to reaffirm its

endorsement of resolution 1441, to support the Government’s continuing efforts

to disarm Iraq, and to call upon Iraq to recognise that this was its final opportunity

to comply with its obligations.

780. The Government motion was approved by 434 votes to 124; 199 MPs voted

for an amendment which invited the House to “find the case for military action

against Iraq as yet unproven”.

781. The Government motion tabled for debate on 26 February invited the

House of Commons to:

“Take note of Command Paper Cm 5769 on Iraq; reaffirm its endorsement of

United Nations Security Council resolution 1441, as expressed in its resolution

of 25 November 2002; support the Government’s continuing efforts in the United

Nations to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction; and call upon Iraq to

recognise this is its final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations.”237