The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
Mexico
could be shifted, that would “change the weather”. If France and
Russia then
vetoed the
resolution but the “numbers were right on the UN”, Mr Blair
thought that
he would
“have a fighting chance of getting it through the Commons”.
Subsequently,
Mr Blair
had suggested that a change in Chile and Mexico’s position might be
used
to influence
Mr Vladimir Putin, the Russian President.
101.
President Bush
was “worried about rolling in more time” but Mr Blair had
“held his
ground”,
arguing that Chile and Mexico would “need to be able to point to
something that
they won
last minute that explains why they finally supported us”. President
Bush “said
‘Let me be
frank. The second resolution is for the benefit of Great Britain.
We would
want it so
we can go ahead together.’” President Bush’s position was that the
US and
the UK
“must not retreat from 1441 and we cannot keep giving them more
time”; it was
“time to do
this” and there should be “no more deals”.
102.
Mr Campbell
wrote that Mr Blair concluded the conversation by saying “he
was
sure we
were doing the right thing and we had to see it through, but it was
going to be
tough”.
President Bush had replied: “Hang on in there friend.”
103.
Mr Campbell
wrote that he “felt a bit sick” about “the extent to which our
problems
were
US-created, and our politics now so dominated by their
approach”.
104.
Sir David
Manning sent the UK’s proposals for a revised deadline and a
side
statement
identifying six tests on which Saddam Hussein’s intentions would
be
judged to
Dr Rice and to President Lagos.
105.
Reflecting
some of the comments from Dr Blix and Mr Dowse, Sir David
Manning
wrote to
Dr Rice setting out six proposed tests, with additional
details in a “draft side
statement”,
which Mr Blair had “briefly described” to President
Bush:
•
a public
statement in Arabic by Saddam Hussein announcing that:
{{Iraq had
in the past sought to conceal its WMD and other
proscribed
activities
but had taken a strategic decision not to produce or retain
them;
{{Iraq
would immediately yield all prohibited and proscribed material to
the
weapons
inspectors;
{{Iraq
would co-operate fully with UNMOVIC and the IAEA in
immediately
addressing
and resolving all outstanding questions; and
{{all
government personnel and citizens would cease any proscribed
activity
and provide
items, documentation and information to the
inspectors;
•
undertakings
to:
{{make at
least 30 Iraqi scientists available for interview outside
Iraq;
{{surrender all
remaining anthrax and anthrax production capability
(including
growth media) and provide credible evidence to account
for
outstanding
questions on production and destruction;
{{surrender all
mobile bio-production laboratories for destruction;
418