Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Iraq.
Iraq
Asked whether it would appear to be over at the UN now Guinea and Pakistan had said they would abstain, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that we had not given up with the diplomatic track. We were continuing to battle on at the Security Council. We would not give up until such time as we believed that the diplomatic course had ended. We were not yet at that point and obviously hoped it would not come to that. As the Prime Minister had told Cabinet this morning, the route was not closed and there were still opportunities available. Many Cabinet Ministers had praised the fantastic work Sir Jeremy Greenstock was doing at the UN. Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary had indicated that things had been better earlier in the week before the intervention by the French President on Monday evening. The PMOS said he accepted it was difficult, but did not accept that it was over. Asked if people could interpret that things had gone backwards since Monday, the PMOS said yes.
Asked when a Commons vote might take place and whether we were thinking about recalling the House on Saturday, the PMOS said that we were in a very fluid situation where it was difficult to be certain about the next stage.
Asked if he recognised reports that the US would be willing to wait until the end of the month for a second Resolution, the PMOS said that intensive discussion was continuing at the UN, which he had no intention of pre-empting. However, the situation could not be allowed to ‘elasticate’ forever. It would have to conclude and decisions be made.
Asked whether Iraq’s apparent intention to present a report to the UN on VX tomorrow would be enough to assuage the possibility of war, the PMOS said that given the history of the last twelve years, we would judge the Iraqi Government by what it did rather than by what it said. Resolution 1441 had required them to present a full and complete declaration. Everyone accepted that they hadn’t done so. He should therefore be forgiven for sprinkling a little scepticism around the place when it came to Iraqi pledges. Put to him that we had only tabled the six tests yesterday and the Iraqis were already meeting one of them, which must surely be a significant move on their part, the PMOS said that it was important to wait and see what actually transpired. We had been waiting twelve years for compliance.
Asked what would comprise a moral majority, the PMOS said that we wanted to get a second Resolution. Everyone was aware of how the arithmetic worked at the Security Council. The Prime Minister was continuing to work the phones. He had probably made more international calls in the last week than he would have made in the last three months under normal circumstances. It was a sign of the energy being putting into the process. That said, no one was pretending it wasn’t difficult. Self evidently it was. Questioned further, the PMOS said that we were in the diplomatic end-game, but it had not yet concluded. People would just have to wait and see how things panned out. This process could run into the weekend. We would all have to take it ‘one briefing at a time’, to use a sporting cliché. Asked to confirm that nine positive votes and no vetoes were needed, not a simply majority, the PMOS confirmed that was the case. Asked if the UK would pursue a vote at the UN regardless, the PMOS said that our intention remained to get a second Resolution. A judgement would have to be taken at an appropriate time as to how this might conclude.
Asked whether Cabinet would meet again on Monday, the PMOS said that anything was possible in theory, but nothing was certain. We would inform people once we knew where things stood. Asked if it would meet before or after military action was launched, the PMOS said that we were continuing to push forward on the diplomatic track in our desire to achieve a second Resolution. Should that diplomatic process not come to fruition in the way we would desire, a further meeting of the Cabinet would assess how we would take things forward. Questioned as to whether Ministers had been given an assurance that there would be a discussion and debate on the military options, the PMOS said that the Cabinet this morning had been united in supporting the Government’s position on getting a second Resolution. The Prime Minister had said that there would be a further meeting of the Cabinet should the diplomatic process end in failure. Ministers had considered that to be a sensible and practical way forward.
Asked if the Prime Minister had had a bilateral with Clare Short today, the PMOS said that it wasn’t our policy to discuss meetings the Prime Minister had with Ministerial colleagues.
Asked if we really believed that France would use its veto at the UN, and if so what the point was of all the UN activity, the PMOS said that he had seen no qualification or retraction of the declaration made by President Chirac on Monday when he had said that France would use its veto whatever the circumstances. ‘Whatever the circumstances’ appeared to mean just that. That had created significant difficulties for us. However, it did not mean we were not able to continue to work hard to try to find a way forward. As the Foreign Secretary had said this afternoon, we were prepared to look at some of the issues regarding the six tests we had set out yesterday. That showed how reasonable we were trying to be. It should be noted, however, that Dr ElBaradei himself had suggested earlier in the week that Saddam should make a statement on TV. We were realistic about the situation, but were continuing to work hard, as you would expect.
Asked whether the Queen had been advised not to go to Belgium next week by Downing Street, the PMOS said that it was a decision which had been taken on Government advice. We were clearly at a crucial stage in the UN process. This was an important time for the country. Our judgement was that in such circumstances - and it did not indicate one way or the other how this diplomatic effort might conclude - that it was sensible for the Head of State to be in this country rather than abroad. Questioned as to whether the Prime Minister intended to travel to UN HQ in New York, the PMOS said that he had no plans to do so.
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