Report shows Iraq in further material breach
Report shows Iraq in further
material breach
The time is up for Iraq to comply, the Foreign Secretary has said. Commenting on the report by UN weapons inspectors, Mr Straw said the chances of the issue being resolved by peaceful means are 'less than they were'.
The Iraqi regime would be making the "most profound mistake if it thought that it could go on with its game-playing any longer", the Foreign Secretary said.
Under the terms of the Security Council's resolution, Iraq is in material breach due to false statements or omissions in the declaration and failure to comply and co-operate fully.
Mr Straw said the mood has changed, and "people realise that Iraq really is now in blatant non-compliance."
While he said that war is not inevitable, and emphasised the government's wish to use the United Nations route, he also said that the chances of a peaceful resolution are less than they were "because of Iraq's unbelievable refusal properly to comply."
The European Union is saying that it is imperative that Iraq provides the authorities with all additional and complete information without delay.
At the Security Council in New York permanent representatives will propose questions for the inspectors to put to the Iraqi regime in due course. The Council will meet again on 14 February to assess the situation.
TRANSCRIPT OF BBC IV FOLLOWS
'A FINAL WARNING TO IRAQ' (28/01/03)
QUESTION:
What is our
position on Iraq in the light of the UN Weapons Inspectors'
report?
JACK STRAW:
Well, the inspectors produced their
report yesterday and I would ask people who are worried
about this to read the report. It's on the Internet, it's in
many of the newspapers, because it really very, very
disturbing indeed.
Tomorrow in the Security Council in New York there'll be a session where each of our permanent representatives, our Ambassadors, will be proposing questions for the inspectors to put in turn to the Iraqi regime and then on 14 February there'll be a further meeting of the Security Council to assess the situation.
Meanwhile there's going to be the most intensive diplomacy and that was a point made yesterday by United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. He'll be in touch with his colleagues, so will I to assess international feelings.
I can also tell you from yesterday's discussions in the European Union which actually took place before we had sight of what Drs Blix and ElBaradei were saying, that the mood has changed. People realise that Iraq really is now in blatant non-compliance, for example when there was a proposal on the table for a statement which in the end we produced for the European Foreign Affairs Council yesterday the original draft had the words give the Iraqis additional time. I proposed that this was not appropriate and it was dropped without any opposition. And what the European Union is now saying, just to quote, is that it is imperative that Iraq provides the authorities without delay with all additional and complete information on the questions raised.
QUESTION:
In that case should we take 14
February a deadline? Is there an ultimatum against Iraq to
comply by that date?
JACK STRAW:
No, there isn't and
ultimatum being talked about at the moment. But each of
these dates is very significant indeed and Iraq would be
making a profound mistake if it thought that it could go on
with its game playing any longer. The time is up for Iraq to
comply.
If you read the terms of 1441 passed unanimously by the Security Council on 8 November, you see that it says there under paragraph four that a further material breach arises where there are false statements or omissions in the declaration and failure by Iraq at any time to comply with and cooperate fully in the implementation of this resolution.
As of today according to the reports we've received Iraq is now in further material breach of both those limbs of operational paragraph four. So it's profoundly serious for Iraq.
QUESTION:
Do you believe
that what we now have is sufficient to justify military
action and that it is not necessary to get a second United
Nations resolution to authorise that?
JACK STRAW:
No
I've said neither of those things. The situation is very
serious. I think that most people who were not familiar with
the information about Iraq's malpractices will have been
very shocked by what they discovered from Dr Blix's report.
I mean it didn't come as any shock to me, but the evidence
laid out of Iraq's non compliance is pretty terrifying. And
it's quite important for example for those people you
interviewed earlier who are worried about this understand
what the case is. What Dr Blix lays out is for example that
the Iraqi regime still has one of the most deadly nerve
agents of all, VX. They've been lying about the destruction
of all anthrax. And they've found mustard gas precursor at a
laboratory, and missiles that have been tested beyond their
legal range.
QUESTION:
What would it take for Iraq
to do between now and 14 February for them to convince you
that they were serious about disarming?
JACK
STRAW:
They'd have to set about the full and active
compliance which they have so far not done. And they'd have
to realise the seriousness of this. We've said all the way
along in this that the onus is on Iraq. I understand fully
the concerns of people about military action and I share
them. I also comprehend but I don't agree with those people
who say give Iraq a lot more time. What needs to be borne in
mind is that Iraq is a serial offender, they've been
refusing to comply with international obligations not for
just two months since this resolution was passed, but for
twelve years.
QUESTION:
You said at the beginning of
this month that the chances of war were sixty forty against.
How would you rate them now?
JACK STRAW:
The chances of
this being resolved by peaceful means are less than they
were because of Iraq's unbelievable refusal properly to
comply with the terms of this resolution. There is still an
opportunity for Iraq to comply. But I'm sorry to say that
the evidence in the past suggests that once again they will
think that game playing, deception, concealment, delay are
an adequate alternative to compliance. They're not. Those in
the Iraqi regime who care about Iraq have got to understand
how serious the situation is now.
QUESTION:
People are
going to listen to what you're saying in this interview and
conclude that war is inevitable.
JACK STRAW:
No, war is
still not inevitable. It never has been. But we would only
be at this stage with a catalogue of Iraq's non compliance
laid out and the truth about the danger posed by the Iraqi
regime as a result of active diplomacy through the United
Nations, backed essentially by a credible threat of military
action led by the United States and ourselves. And those two
together have been the essentials.
QUESTION:
In view of
what was revealed yesterday, would you now be happy about
going ahead alone with the United States if you can't get a
second resolution through the Security Council because
despite all the, the change of mood that you talk about
other members of the Security Council won't support military
action.
JACK STRAW:
We have made it very clear all the
way through that we wish to use the United Nations route.
That point was reinforced by the Prime Minister yesterday
and that remains our preference. On the reaction of the
international community let us wait and see. I recall a
number of occasions in the months leading up to the passage
of 1441 in early November that it was often suggested to me
that we'd never get an international consensus for a first
resolution. Well we did get it unanimously and Iraq must
understand the serious consequences that will flow if the
further material breach
continues.