4.4 | The
search for WMD
558.
On
19 November, Mr Donald Anderson, Chairman of the FAC,
asked Mr Straw
for answers
to a number of questions arising from the Government’s response to
the
15 July
report, including on lessons learned from the ISG.307
559.
On WMD,
Mr Anderson wrote:
“… the
Committee asked that the Government set out in detail the lessons
that
can be
learnt from the experience of UN weapons inspections in Iraq for
the future
monitoring
of BW programmes. The Committee now requests a
memorandum
setting out
the lessons learnt from the Iraq Survey Group. It also wishes to
learn
how the
past year’s weapons inspections process will contribute to
developing policy
towards
monitoring and addressing the threat of WMD from Iran, Syria and
other
states of
concern.”
560.
FCO officials
recommended that Mr Straw inform Mr Anderson that, in
relation to
the ISG, it
would not be appropriate to divert resources from an ongoing
operation or to
try to
present lessons learned from an incomplete process.308
561.
In his
response to Mr Anderson on 2 December, Mr Straw
stated:
“The Iraq
Survey Group is part of an ongoing operation. I do not believe it
would be
appropriate
at this stage to divert resources away from the ISG’s operational
role or
to attempt
to present lessons learned from an incomplete process.
“Her
Majesty’s Government … has not been given access to UNMOVIC’s
records …
It is not,
therefore, possible to carry out any full analysis of what lessons
have been
learned.
The UK has … encouraged UNMOVIC to carry out such an
exercise.
If UNMOVIC
does conduct an analysis, it is by no means certain that we would
have
access to
the results.
“What has
become clear from the experience of weapons inspections in Iraq
since
1991 is the
need for intrusive inspection regimes to generate confidence that
no
illegal
activities are taking place.”309
562.
In December
2003, Dr Kay was reported to be considering leaving the
ISG.
His
departure was confirmed in January 2004.
307
Letter
Anderson to Straw, 19 November 2003, ‘Foreign Policy Aspects
of the War Against Terrorism’.
308
Minute
Peters to PS [FCO], 27 November 2003, ‘Further letter from the
FAC: lessons learned from
WMD
inspections’ attaching Letter [draft], [untitled].
309
Second
Report from the Foreign Affairs Committee, Session
2003-2004, Foreign
Policy Aspects of the
War Against
Terrorism, HC 81, Ev
23.
535