Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Iraq.
Iraq
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that Jack Straw would be confirming shortly in Brussels that the draft Resolution would be tabled at the UN later today, probably at the 3.30pm EST (8.30pm GMT) session, and would be co-sponsored by the UK, US and Spain. Asked for further detail about the draft, the PMOS said that it would underline in clear and simple terms that Resolution 1441 represented Saddam’s final opportunity to disarm. Although we believed that, as things stood, he was in breach of his obligations, the current timeframe represented a last window of opportunity for him to comply fully and immediately.
Asked how long the window of opportunity would last, the PMOS said that the draft Resolution was being tabled today. Hans Blix was due to present a report to the UN on Friday within the framework of Resolution 1284, passed in December 1999, under which he was obligated to provide a written report to the UN every three months. It was up to Dr Blix himself to decide whether he wanted to deliver a report under Resolution 1284 this Friday and then make a further presentation under Resolution 1441 at a later stage, or whether he wanted to amalgamate the two at a later date. That would be discussed at the UN over the next few days. Whatever was decided, we envisaged that the UN would vote on the new Resolution in early to mid March. Questioned further, the PMOS said that the strategy was being dictated by the desire to bring home to Saddam that he was being given a final opportunity to make a choice he had first been asked to make twelve years ago. The concern was that he would once again misread recent events and believe that he could get away with avoiding the issue. This time we were sending a very strong message that that would not happen. Asked if he was implying that if a decision was taken to launch military action against Iraq it would be the fault of particular countries, as well as the anti-war demonstrators, who had caused Saddam to misread the situation, the PMOS said that he was not in the business of pointing the finger at anyone. He was simply making the point that for twelve years Saddam had pursued a policy of drip-feeding apparent ‘concessions’ which turned out not to be concessions at all. He had consistently moved only under pressure - and then reversed any moves he had made in the right direction. That point had been underlined by Kofi Annan’s comments this afternoon in which he had said that Saddam needed to get the message that he had to comply in full with the settled will of the international community.
Asked why the draft Resolution was being tabled before Dr Blix’s report, the PMOS said we believed that Dr Blix’s first two reports had shown that Iraq was not complying with 1441. He reminded journalists that UNSCR 687 had first demanded in 1991 that Iraq provide a full declaration of its WMD capability within fifteen days. It had now been twelve years since that demand was made, and fifteen weeks since Resolution 1441 had been agreed unanimously. Saddam had yet to comply with his obligations fully. Questioned as to whether the draft Resolution would refer to military action, the PMOS said that since 1441 was so clear cut and comprehensive, the new Resolution did not need to be long and detailed.
Asked whether a substantive vote in the House of Commons regarding military action against Iraq would take place before or after the UN vote on the new Resolution, the PMOS cautioned journalists against getting too ahead of themselves. He said it was important to take things step by step. The next stage was the Commons debate and vote on Wednesday. That would be about the Government’s approach to the issue of disarmament through the UN and its attempts to persuade Saddam to have the fundamental change of heart necessary to allow us to avoid war. Our view regarding parliamentary votes and military action remained on the record. We were not yet at the point where we had to decide whether to take military action because we were giving Saddam a last chance for peace. Asked if he would accept that Wednesday’s vote could be the last substantive vote before any possible military action given Geoff Hoon’s point that military planning might have to contain an element of surprise, the PMOS declined to get drawn into commenting on hypothetical situations. He said that people needed to be patient and should wait and see how the next few weeks unfolded. We had deliberately created a last window of opportunity for Saddam. That was where we were at the moment. Asked to clarify the Leader of the House’s comments about the vote this afternoon, the PMOS pointed out that Wednesday’s vote could not be a vote on the final UN Resolution because it was only in draft form at the moment. Equally, it could not be a vote on military action because we were not yet at that point. We were in an unfolding situation and Parliament would continue to be kept informed, as you would expect.
Asked for further detail about Wednesday’s motion, the PMOS said that he had nothing to add to what he had said about the matter this morning. It would express support for Resolution 1441 and for continuing to take the process down the UN path. It would also reiterate the demand that Iraq should comply fully and immediately with its international obligations. Questioned as to whether the motion would mention military action, the PMOS repeated that we were not yet at the point where we had to make a decision about military action.
Asked about the Prime Minister’s meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury in Downing Street later today, the PMOS said that it was a routine bi-annual visit. Asked who had requested the meeting, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had held regular six-monthly meetings with the previous Archbishop of Canterbury. It had always been the intention to continue that tradition with the new Archbishop. Although today’s meeting was not the first time the Prime Minister and Dr Williams had met since the latter’s appointment, it was nevertheless the first of their routine six-monthly meetings. Questioned as to whether the Prime Minister was planning to meet any other religious leaders, the PMOS said he was not aware of any plans to do so at this stage.
Asked for a reaction to the French Foreign Minister’s declaration today that there was no need for a second UN Resolution, the PMOS said that he would await the French proposals to the UN before commenting on them. He would simply point out that twelve years had passed since UNSCR 687 had first given Saddam fifteen days to provide a declaration of his WMD capability, six months had passed since President Bush had agreed to go down the UN route, and it was fifteen weeks since 1441 had been agreed. Asked the Prime Minister’s view of the action the French were taking, the PMOS said he was making the point that there was a need to focus Saddam’s mind on the fact that he was being given a final opportunity to comply. It was for others to judge whether what they were proposing would help that process or not.
Asked how confident we were that a second Resolution would be achieved, the PMOS said we remained confident that, after twelve years of being given countless opportunities to comply, Saddam was now being given a last opportunity to do so. It was also the case that when UN passed a Resolution as clear-cut and comprehensive as 1441 with its demand for immediate and full compliance, the authority of the UN was decided by whether it forced such Resolutions or not.
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