The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
407.
In her memoir,
Ms Short wrote that when she arrived in her office on 11
March,
Mr Chakrabarti
and senior officials had “obviously been instructed by No.10 to try
to
get me in
line”.125
They had
also “been asked to find out what it would take to
make
me stay”.
After discussion, they agreed that the conditions
were:
“1. Publish
Road Map [for the Middle East]
2. Absolute
requirement UN mandate for reconstruction
3. UN
mandate for military action.”
408.
Ms Short added
that her diary also recorded:
“Briefing
from No.10 I had not raised these issues before. Shocking! Raised
at every
Cabinet and
at a series of private meetings with TB.”
409.
Mr Blair
told Ms Short that President Bush had “promised a UN mandate
for
reconstruction”
and that her position on the Road Map might help him with
President
Bush. In
response to a request from Ms Short that he should “try a process
at UN
that treats
UN with respect not just forcing US timelines”, Mr Blair “said
he could get
more time”.
410.
Mr Blair
told Cabinet on 13 March that work continued in the UN to
obtain
a second
resolution and, following the French decision to veto, the
outcome
remained
open.
411.
Mr Blair
indicated that difficult decisions might be required and
promised
a further
meeting at which Lord Goldsmith would be present.
412.
Mr Straw
told Cabinet that Iraq continued to be in material breach
of
resolution
1441 and set out his view of the legal position.
413.
Mr Straw
told Cabinet that there was “good progress” in gaining support
in
the
Security Council and described President Chirac’s position as
“irresponsible”.
414.
The
position presented to Cabinet by Mr Blair and Mr Straw
did not
acknowledge
the reservations expressed by the non-permanent members of
the
Council.
The limited time available for a decision, dictated by US decisions
on
the
military timetable, meant that it would be very difficult to secure
nine votes
in support
of the UK proposals.
415.
Nor did
Mr Blair and Mr Straw acknowledge the concern that, if
there were
nine votes
in support of the resolution, China and Russia, as well as France,
might
exercise
their vetoes.
125
Short
C. An
Honourable Deception: New Labour, Iraq and the Misuse of
Power. The Free
Press, 2004.
472