The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
1087.
Mr Hoon
also sought clarification of the potential US response if Iraq
shot
down an
aircraft, reminding Secretary Rumsfeld of the UK interpretation of
the legal
constraints
on any response.
The House
of Commons voted on 25 November to “support” resolution 1441 and
agreed
that, if
the Government of Iraq failed “to comply fully” with its
provisions, “the Security
Council
should meet in order to consider the situation and the need for
full compliance”.423
Mr Blair’s
statement to the House of Commons on 25 November and the
subsequent
debate on
Iraq, which was opened by Mr Straw, are addressed in Section
3.6.
Before the
debate, Mr Hoon agreed with Mr Blair and Mr Straw
that, when he closed
the debate,
he should address the state of contingency planning, including the
potential
requirement
for the call‑up of military reserves. That would:
“… be done
in a low‑key way, making clear that this was precautionary
planning
and that
the context was our continued hope that Iraq would disarm
peacefully in
co‑operation
with the inspectors.”424
In his
speech closing the debate, Mr Hoon stated:
“Neither
Britain nor the United States is looking for a pretext for military
action, which
is always a
grave step, and which will certainly be a last resort. No member of
the
Government
will risk British lives unnecessarily.”425
Mr Hoon
stated that continuing with “the prudent preparations and planning
necessary for
military
action” was the “only responsible course”. But that did “not mean a
commitment
to take
such action in any circumstances”. It did mean that appropriate
steps were
being taken
“to ensure that British forces” were “ready”, and that they had
“the training,
equipment
and support” that they would need “to undertake military action,
should it prove
Addressing
the US request to “a number of countries” for “support in the event
that military
action
proves necessary”, Mr Hoon stated:
“Although
no decision has been made to commit UK forces to military
action,
discussions
with the US will continue so that an appropriate British
contribution can
be
identified should it prove necessary.
“… There is
no inevitability about military action. The US is clear about the
fact that
the issue
is Iraqi disarmament …
“Those who
have accused the US of unilateralism should consider carefully.
The
US
Government have followed an impeccably multilateral approach, first
in building
unanimous
Security Council support for resolution 1441 and now in seeking to
build
broad‑based
support for military action should it be required … within the
limits
423
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 25
November 2002, column 132.
424
Letter
Rycroft to Watkins, 22 November 2002, ‘Iraq, Military Planning
After UNSCR 1441’.
425
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 25
November 2002, column 123.
426
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 25
November 2002, column 124.
338