3.8 |
Development of UK strategy and options, 8 to 20 March
2003
visit,
“under pressure from the Chileans and Mexicans”, that there was
little chance
of persuading
the “swing six” to abstain “unless France was … ready to say
she
would veto”.
891.
Mr Blair
spoke to President Bush at 1830 on 18 March.323
Mr Blair
said that he was
starting to
win the political argument in the UK; and that the opinion polls
were moving
in his
favour. They agreed to keep in touch “on a daily basis” and
considered meeting
in
Washington the following week. Mr Blair said that he was “keen
to follow up in some
detail some
of the issues raised in the Azores”.
892.
On 18 March,
Sir David Manning wrote to Dr Rice, formally confirming the
UK’s
agreement
to US use of Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford for “operations to
enforce
compliance
by Iraq with the obligations on Weapons of Mass Destruction laid
down
in UNSCR
1441 and previous relevant resolutions”.324
893.
Adm Boyce’s
Directive to Lieutenant General John Reith, the UK Commander
Joint
Operations
for Operation TELIC, was issued at 2300 on 18 March. Operations
would not
begin
before 1800 the following day.325
894.
The military
plan and arrangements for the command and control of the
military
operation
are addressed in Sections 6.2 and 8.
895.
Debates on
Iraq took place in both the House of Commons and the House of
Lords
on 18 March
2003.
896.
The Government
tabled a motion inviting the House of Commons to:
“•
note its
decisions of 25 November 2002 and 26 February 2003;
•
recognise
that Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and long-range
missiles,
and its
continuing non-compliance with Security Council resolutions, pose
a
threat to
international peace and security;
•
note that
in the 130 days since resolution 1441 was adopted Iraq had
not
co‑operated
actively, unconditionally and immediately with the
weapons
inspectors,
and had rejected the final opportunity to comply and is in
further
323
Letter
Cannon to McDonald, 18 March 2003, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s
Conversation with Bush, 18 March’.
324
Letter
Manning to Rice, 18 March 2003, [untitled].
325
Letter
Watkins to Manning, 18 March 2003, ‘Iraq: Military
operations’.
559