4.4 | The
search for WMD
200.
Mr McDonald
replied to the letter from Sir Richard Dearlove’s Private Office
about
progress in
uncovering hard evidence of prohibited Iraqi weapons programmes
on
“… that we
have pro-actively to confront some of the negative media about the
lack
of Iraqi
WMD, and work to ensure that some of the evidence that is coming to
light
finds its
way into the public domain. Or, as you say, the media will remain
camped
on the
position of No evidence, No justification. In the absence of
independent
validation
of Coalition WMD finds, the media are playing a crucial role in
setting
public
opinion. Having an effective media strategy, agreed
interdepartmentally, will
help
address this …”
“The idea
of working with the BBC
Panorama programme …
seems an excellent
way to take
the strategy forward in the short term. Providing background
briefing and
unobtrusively
helping point the programme makers in the right direction […]
should
help to
bring to light some of the hard evidence that is being uncovered.
It will be
important
to ensure that Panorama
maintains
its overall independence … However,
we should
not regard this as an exclusive … [W]e should work with a range
of
journalists
to ensure that the message comes across clearly and
coherently.”
202.
Resolution
1483 was adopted on 22 May 2003.110
Its provisions
relating to Iraq’s
continued
obligation to disarm, the US and UK activities in that regard and
the future
of UNMOVIC
and the IAEA’s mandates, are set out in the Box ‘Resolution 1483:
WMD
provisions’.
The wider purpose and provisions of the resolution are addressed
in
Section 9.1.
In
resolution 1483, the Security Council:
•
reaffirmed
“the importance of the disarmament of Iraqi weapons of mass
destruction
and of
eventual confirmation of the disarmament of Iraq”;
•
determined
that “the situation in Iraq, although improved, continues to
constitute a
threat to
international peace and security”.
In
operative paragraph 11 of the resolution, the Security
Council:
•
reaffirmed
“that Iraq must meet its disarmament obligations”;
•
encouraged the
UK and US “to keep the Council informed of their activities in
this
regard”;
and
•
underlined
“the intention of the Council to revisit the mandates” of UNMOVIC
and the
IAEA “as
set forth in resolution 687 (1991) … 1284 (1999) and 1441
(2002)”.
109
Letter
McDonald to PS/C, 2 June 2003, ‘Iraqi WMD’.
110
UN Security
Council Resolution 1483 (2003).
465