3.8 |
Development of UK strategy and options, 8 to 20 March
2003
•
They urged
“friends and allies to put aside differences, and work together
for
peace,
freedom and security”. The “friendship and solidarity between
Europe and
the United
States” was “strong” and would “continue to grow in years to
come”.237
688.
In the press
conference following the Summit, President Bush said that
the
following
day would be the “moment of truth for the world”.238
Nations had
“voiced a
commitment
to peace and security” and now needed to demonstrate that “in the
only
effective
way, by supporting the immediate and unconditional disarmament of
Iraq”.
689.
In response to
questions, President Bush added:
•
Saddam
Hussein could “leave the country if he’s interested in peace …
the
decision is
his to make”.
•
His speech
of 12 September 2002 had “called the UN into account”
because
he
understood the “wars of the 21st century” were “going to require
incredible
international
co-operation”. He hoped that the following day the UN
would
“do its job”.
690.
Mr Blair
emphasised the “key point” was “our responsibility to uphold the
will of the
United
Nations set out in resolution 1441”, which had provided the final
opportunity for
Saddam
Hussein to disarm and for “serious consequences” to follow if he
failed to do so.
691.
In an oblique
reference to France, Mr Blair stated that there was an
“impasse”
where “some
say there should be no ultimatum, no authorisation of force in any
new
resolution”.
He added:
“… without
a credible ultimatum authorising force in the event of
non-compliance,
then more
discussion is just more delay, with Saddam remaining armed
with
weapons of
mass destruction …”
692.
Mr Blair
warned that Saddam Hussein was still playing “a game he has played
over
the last 12
years” and:
“Disarmament
never happens … instead the international community is
drawn
into some
perpetual negotiation … but never real and concrete progress
leading
to disarmament.”
693.
Mr Blair
stated that “Nobody” was prepared to say there was “full
co-operation”
and drew
attention to the absence of interviews outside Iraq and Iraq’s
failure to
provide
evidence of the destruction of 10,000 litres of anthrax as the
reason why the
237
The White
House, 16 March 2003, Statement
of the Atlantic Summit: Commitment to
Transatlantic Solidarity.
238
The White
House, 16 March 2003, President
Bush: Monday “Moment of Truth” for World on Iraq.
521