4.4 | The
search for WMD
521.
Mr Blair
characterised the position as “a battle for legitimacy” which had
to be won.
The issue
of WMD was about more than Iraq, it was a global threat. Iraq had
been the
“starting
place”:
“… because
of the history. But the reason for action was never Iraq in
isolation. It
was Iraq as
a test case of how determined we were to confront the
threat.
“My worry
now is that the world thinks: well, Iraq was a tough deal, so they
won’t try
that
again.
“I think we
must be absolutely unapologetic. This is the security threat. We
must deal
with it.
This means:
(a) The
Libya deal is really important …
(b) Iran
and North Korea should not be put on the back burner … We need
to
be, if
anything, stronger on this. Not that we’re about to go to war. But
that
it’s only
as a result of Iraq that these nations know we’re serious and
we
can resolve
it peacefully.
(c) A
public disruption of the trade in WMD …”
522.
Mr Blair
suggested that the UK and US needed a “strategic plan to
re-highlight the
terrorism/WMD
issue”, and to:
“Get our
confidence in our story back. Iraq is better without Saddam.
WMD/terror
remains the
21st century threat. Our global agenda is the only way to a better
future
not just
for us but for the world. We’re not going soft on it. We’re going
to be utterly
determined
on it, because it’s right.
“… [M]y
political position is very clear. I won’t win re-election on Iraq
alone. But if
Iraq is
wrong or people don’t get the security threat, it will be a major
problem. On
the other
hand, if Iraq comes right and people do get the threat, my
opponents will
have a lot
of explaining to do.”
523.
In a letter on
6 October, Mr Blair wrote that he was:
“… very
grateful for SIS’s remarkable contribution both to the Iraq
campaign and on
the complex
political and diplomatic manoeuvrings which preceded
it”.285
524.
In his video
conference with President Bush on 7 October, Mr Blair
commented
that Dr
Kay’s Interim Report had been better than the UK media had
anticipated.286
285
Letter
Prime Minister to C, 6 October 2003, [untitled].
286
Letter
Cannon to Adams, 7 October 2003, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s
video-conference with President Bush,
7 October’.
529