4.2 |
Iraq WMD assessments, July to September 2002
I am
surprised that we do not have stronger material … We need, I
believe, to
regard
the publication of the strongest material as a political
imperative.”
169.
Mr McKane
wrote to Mr Stephen Wright, FCO Deputy Under Secretary
Defence
and
Intelligence, on 4 September asking the FCO to renew the chapters
in the dossier
it had
produced on ‘Human Rights Abuses’ and the ‘History of Weapons
Inspections’
to “ensure
they are as up to date and hard hitting as
possible”.77
170.
Mr McKane
stated that Mr Scarlett had “already started work to refresh
the WMD
chapter”
and asked for comments on the draft capping piece.
171.
Sir David
Manning replied:
“This looks
good.
“Let’s
point out that there has been no monitoring since ?1998 when the
inspectors
were
expelled in violation of UNSCRs.”78
172.
The
Assessments Staff had already sought more information from the
DIS.79
173.
The DIS
provided additional material on:
•
missile
numbers on 4 September;80
•
“Nuclear
Weapons” on 5 September;81
•
WMD funding
on 6 September;82
and
•
chemical
facilities on 6 September.83
174.
The FCO was
also developing a script addressing why the problem of
Iraq’s
WMD, unlike
the programmes of other countries, including Iran, could not
be
resolved
through containment and diplomacy.
175.
The
argument relied on Saddam Hussein’s past behaviour and
his
continuing
refusal at that time to admit weapons inspectors as
required
by resolution
1284 (1999).
77
Minute
McKane to Wright, 4 September 2002, ‘Iraq: The
Dossier’.
78
Manuscript
comment Manning to McKane, 4 September 2002, on Minute McKane to
Wright,
4 September
2002, ‘Iraq: The Dossier’.
79
Email
[1626] [DIS] to [Cabinet Office], 4 September 2002, ‘Iraqi WMD
Dossier’.
80
Email
[1642] [DIS] to [Cabinet Office], 4 September 2002, ‘Iraqi WMD
Dossier – Missile numbers’,
attaching
Minute [DIS], 4 September 2002, ‘Al Hussein
Accounting’.
81
Email
[1232] [DIS] to [Cabinet Office], 5 September 2002, ‘Iraq Dossier –
Nuc section’.
82
Email
[1529] [DIS] to [Cabinet Office], 6 September 2002, ‘Iraq Dossier –
WMD funding’ attaching
Document,
[undated], ‘Iraq dossier – Section on Illicit Income Generation and
WMD-funding’.
83
Email
[1708] [DIS] to [Cabinet Office], 6 September 2002,
‘Dossier’.
145