3.8 |
Development of UK strategy and options, 8 to 20 March
2003
Australian
Government which he said was consistent with the advice given to
the British
Government
by Lord Goldsmith.
883.
President
Chirac maintained his position that the UN route had not
been
exhausted
and the Security Council should explicitly authorise the use of
force.
The US was
taking unilateral action against the will of the
international community.
884.
Sir John
Holmes reported on 17 March that France was taking UK “criticism on
the
chin for
the moment”, and was saying that it would be ready to help in the
post-conflict
period,
“but the greater the UN role, the easier it will be for
them”.318
Senior
advisers to
Mr de
Villepin and Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the French Prime
Minister, understood the
UK position
but had “made clear that they regretted nothing, and believed that
they had
acted
perfectly consistently throughout”. Mr de Villepin’s “clear
view was that France
should not
stoop to respond to our criticism, but the Elysée were less
calm”.
“The French
shifted a little as we approached the wire. Villepin’s acceptance
of our
six tests
when he spoke to you [Straw] … was particularly interesting, given
his
previous
sharp public rejection. But all this was far too little, far too
late: positioning
rather than
a genuine effort at agreement. The French know they are now cast
as
scapegoats
but, at least for the time being, seem to be determined to maintain
a
dignified
silence, on the assumption that once war begins we will all have an
interest
in coming
together at the UN to handle the aftermath.”
886.
The Elysée
issued a statement early on 18 March stating that the US
ultimatum
was a
unilateral decision going against the will of the international
community who
wanted to
pursue Iraqi disarmament in accordance with resolution
1441.319
It
stated:
“… only the
Security Council is authorised to legitimise the use of force.
France
appeals to
the responsibility of all to see that international legality is
respected.
To disregard
the legitimacy of the UN, to favour force over the law, would be to
take
on a heavy
responsibility.”
887.
President
Chirac issued a recorded speech later that morning which reiterated
that
statement
and made a number of other comments, including:
“France’s
action has been inspired by the primacy of international law
…
“… France
considers the use of force is a last resort when all other
options
have been
exhausted. France’s stance is shared by the great majority of
the
international community.
318
Telegram
132 Paris to FCO London, 17 March 2003, ‘France:
Iraq’.
319
Telegram
135 Paris to FCO London, 18 March 2003, ‘Iraq: Chirac’s Reaction to
Ultimatum’.
557