The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
The debate
that followed Mr Straw’s statement returned repeatedly to the
question of
whether the
inspectors should be given more time, and whether the case had yet
been
made that
military action was necessary.239
A number of
MPs referred to the need for
an
authorising UN resolution if action was to go ahead, and for plans
for the delivery
of humanitarian
aid to Iraq.
Mr Chris
Smith (Labour) told the House that there must be “the clearest
possible reasons”
for going
to war and risking thousands of lives, and added “I do not believe
those reasons
are
there”.
Mr Kenneth
Clarke (Conservative) said: “I cannot rid myself of doubts that the
course to
war upon
which we are now embarked was decided on many months ago, primarily
in
Washington,
and there has been a fairly remorseless unfolding of events since
that time.”
That point
was echoed by Mr John Gummer (Conservative), who said: “There
is
no Member
of Parliament who does not know that this war is war by timetable,
and
the timetable
was laid before the United States had any intention of going to
the
United Nations.”
792.
After the
debate, 199 MPs voted for an amendment to the
Government
motion
which invited the House to “find the case for military action
against Iraq
as yet unproven”.
793.
The Government
motion was approved by 434 votes to 124.
794.
Sir David
Manning spoke to Dr Rice on 27 February to explain the
political
difficulties
in the UK:
“Yesterday’s
outcome [in the House of Commons] emphasised in stark terms
that
a second
resolution was absolutely vital …”240
795.
Mr Cook
wrote that it was the largest rebellion against the Government in
his
30 years
in Parliament, and that the newspapers the following morning had
described it
as the
“biggest government rebellion since Gladstone introduced the Home
Rule Bill”.241
796.
In a speech
on 26 February intended to make the case for action against
Iraq,
President
Bush stated that the safety of the American people depended on
ending
the direct
and growing threat from Iraq.
797.
President
Bush also set out his hopes for the future of Iraq.
239
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 26
February 2003, columns 265-371.
240
Letter
Manning to McDonald, 27 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Conversation with
Condi Rice’.
241
Cook
R. The Point
of Departure. Simon
& Schuster UK Ltd, 2003.
320