3.8 | Development of UK strategy and options, 8 to 20 March 2003

842. Mr Ancram concluded:

“Our thoughts tonight must be with our Armed Forces … they have our unqualified

support. We will offer the Government our support in the decisions that must now be

made. We will do so because they have reached the same conclusions as us on the

threat posed by Saddam Hussein and the legality of taking action. We believe they

are acting in the national interest and as long as that is the case we will continue to

support them. Her Majesty’s Opposition will do what in our hearts we know for our

country to be right.”

843. In response to a question from Mr Moore about the implications of taking action

without the backing of the Security Council and allowing inspections to continue,

Mr Straw agreed that it would have been better to achieve a consensus in the UN.

He also stated that France and Russia had agreed the process in resolution 1441:

“… if Iraq was in further material breach, which it has been for weeks, setting out

further discussions in the Security Council, which have already taken place; and …

if Iraq failed to comply, serious consequences would follow.”294

844. The provisions required by resolution 1441 were examined in depth by Lord

Goldsmith in his advice of 7 March, which is addressed in Section 5.

845. Asked about his statement to the House of Commons on 17 March that it was his

“belief, up to about a week ago, that we were close to achieving a consensus that we

sought on the further resolution”, Mr Straw told the Inquiry:

“My point … was accurate. I didn’t say we had a consensus. I said we were close

to it.”295

846. Mr Straw’s statement was repeated in the House of Lords by Baroness Symons of

Vernham Dean, the joint FCO/Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Minister for Trade

and Investment.296

847. In reply to the points made in response to her statement, Baroness Symons made

a number of comments, including:

“… I believe that the legality of the position is indeed settled. I do not think we have

ever had such a clear statement from the Attorney General at a juncture like this.”297

848. Subsequently, Baroness Symons stated that the Government “had gone further

than any Government” to put the “advice” into the public arena, and that Lord Goldsmith