1.1 | UK
Iraq strategy 1990 to 2000
requirement
for Iraq to fulfil those obligations had been confirmed in
successive Security
656.
Mr Blair
added that, when the MOU between Mr Annan and Iraq had been
agreed
in
February:
“… the
Security Council said that any breach by Iraq of its obligations …
would
result in
‘the severest consequences’. The Council has condemned Iraq’s
decision to
end
co-operation again and again. On 14 November, we gave Iraq a
further chance
to come
back into compliance. Given Iraq’s manifest failure to co-operate
in the past
month, I am
satisfied that, if we should choose to use force, we have the
necessary
legal
authority to do so.”
657.
The US and UK
launched air attacks against Iraq, Operation Desert Fox, at
2200
658.
Military
action began while the Security Council was holding informal
discussions
on the IAEA
and UNSCOM reports and the options identified by
Mr Annan.268
659.
Mr Annan
issued a press statement in which he said it was “a sad day for
the
United
Nations, and for the world” as well as a “very sad day” for him
personally.
Throughout
the year, he had “done everything” in his power “to ensure
peaceful
compliance
with Security Council resolutions, and to avert the use of force”.
It had “not
been an
easy or a painless process”, but “the United Nations had to try as
long as any
hope for
peace remained”.269
“I deeply
regret that today these efforts have proved
insufficient.
“What has
happened to day cannot be reversed. Nor can any of us foresee
the
future. All
we know is that tomorrow, as yesterday, there will still be an
acute need,
in Iraq and
the wider region, for humanitarian relief and healing diplomacy. In
both
these
tasks, the United Nations will be ready, as ever, to play its
part.”
661.
In a public
statement, President Clinton said that, while other countries
had
weapons of
mass destruction and ballistic missiles, the international
community had
good reason
to impose restrictions on Iraq because it had “repeatedly” used
them,
266
House of
Commons, Official
Report,
16 December 1998, columns 961-962.
267
BBC
News,
16 December 1998, Blair’s
statement on Iraq strikes: Full text.
268
UN Security
Council, ‘3955th Meeting Wednesday 16 December 1998’
(S/PV.3995).
269
UN Press
Release, 16 December 1998, ‘Secretary-General deeply regrets
that United Nations efforts
to seek
peace in Iraq have proved insufficient’ (SG/SM/6841).
147