Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Iraq, Reshuffle and Airline Industry.
Iraq
Asked to clarify what the three-way-summit in the Azores had agreed in terms of endorsing an ‘appropriate administration’ for Iraq, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that discussions were taking place at the UN on these matters and they should be allowed to take their course. Those who wished to turn the Prime Minister’s meeting with President Bush later today into a one-issue summit relating to a UN Resolution on reconstruction were wrong to try to do so. The Prime Minister and President would discuss a whole range of issues across the entire picture. As we had underlined yesterday, the immediate question was one of practicality. Discussions in New York were focussing on getting in aid behind the troops and moving forward on the Oil-for-Food programme. Clearly progress was being made in both areas. However, we were taking things step by step. No doubt the Prime Minister would be given an update when he met Kofi Annan on Thursday.
Asked what the Prime Minister and President would discuss in their meeting, the PMOS said that they would review how the campaign was going and would discuss the wider diplomatic picture, including the Middle East peace process. All of these were inter-related issues. The intention was to deal with the practicalities of the situation first. We were looking to provide aid relief for the people of Iraq. Our troops were currently clearing the mines from the port of Umm Qasr in order to allow HMS Sir Galahad to dock with its supplies. We hoped that would happen in the not-too-distant future. After that, we would resolve the question of how we could get the UN Oil-for-Food programme up and running again. Questioned as to whether food would be exchanged for oil while the conflict was continuing in Iraq, the PMOS said no. We were talking about what would happen in a post-Saddam era. We were making preparations to move as quickly as possible once military action was over.
Asked whether the issue of military reinforcements on the ground would be discussed at the meeting tonight, the PMOS said that it wasn’t for him to answer questions about the military and advised journalists to wait for Geoff Hoon’s Statement in the House later today. That said, for the avoidance of any doubt, he would simply make the point that he didn’t recognise the premise on which the question was based.
Asked if he was able to substantiate reports of a popular uprising in Basra, the PMOS said that we were being very cautious about the reports, as you would expect. It was clear that we were making progress in the region. However, it was important for people to recognise that our troops were not going in with all guns blazing. It went without saying that they were taking as much care as they possibly could to avoid civilian casualties, although we had accepted from the outset that there would, regretably, be some during the course of the conflict, for which we took responsibility. It was the job of the Commanders on the ground to work out the best way forward. Journalists should refrain from putting pressure on them in order to meet media deadlines. Asked if the UK and US were admitting responsibility for the bomb attack on a Baghdad market this morning, the PMOS said that he had no fresh information about the blast and was therefore unable to comment on it. Obviously, we would be checking what had happened.
Asked when the Prime Minister believed the Middle East roadmap would be published, the PMOS said that it was not so much a question of when the Prime Minister thought it should be published, but when those involved, including the new Palestinian Prime Minister himself, would want it to be published. The important thing was that there was a commitment to publish it - and that remained. Asked if he was implying that the Palestinian Prime Minister did not want the roadmap to be published just yet, the PMOS said he was not a spokesman for Abu Mazen. That said, it was important to take into account the fact that he was still forming his new Cabinet. The point was that the roadmap would be published. There was no watering down of that commitment.
Asked whether the seized Ba’ath Party chief in Basra would be given prisoner of war status, the PMOS said he had no intention of providing a running commentary on events taking place in Basra or anywhere else. The matter was best dealt with by the Defence Secretary and the Commanders on the ground.
Asked if the Prime Minister and President Bush would discuss the state of EU-US relations in the light of the Prime Minister’s comments on the subject in his press conference yesterday, the PMOS said that if it was being assumed that the Prime Minister had directed his comments yesterday towards the President, that was simply not the case. He had been making the point that he completely disagreed with the view that Europe should act as a counterbalance or a rival to the US on world issues. He believed that the relationship worked best as a partnership. We had seen the US go down that route in its attempt to find consensus at the UN for a second Resolution. It was unfortunate that others had not acted in the same way. Asked if he was saying that it was all Europe’s fault, the PMOS said that he was not going to start apportioning blame. It was more important to move on and address the pressing issues that needed to be addressed. Put to him that President Chirac and some in the US Administration would not agree with the view he had put forward, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister and President Chirac had had a conversation at the Brussels Summit and both had agreed to move on. Yes, there was a difference of view - and that was why we were trying to address it.
Asked what the Prime Minister might say to President Bush in order to persuade him to do something to help rebuild relations with the Europeans, the PMOS pointed out that the difficulties that had arisen in seeking a consensus for a second Resolution had not come from the Americans. Put to him that the US were causing difficulties at the present time given their reluctance to involve the UN in post-conflict matters, the PMOS said that he was not a spokesman for the US Administration, but he did not believe that to be their view because of the outcome of the Azores summit. Pressed as to what the Prime Minister felt the US should be doing to help mend bridges with the EU, the PMOS referred journalists to the conclusions of the Azores Summit which had talked about the role of the UN in a post-Saddam Iraq. Asked again to explain what the conclusions had meant in referring to an ‘appropriate administration’ for Iraq, the PMOS cautioned journalists against getting too far ahead of themselves at this stage. Asked if the issue would be discussed at Camp David later today, the PMOS said that of course it would be discussed. However, no decision about the shape of a post-Saddam administration would be made because that was the job of those at the UN. However, the UN’s priority at the moment was the Oil-for-Food programme, not reconstruction.
Reshuffle
Asked when the new ministerial changes might be announced, the PMOS said that he had no news for journalists on that front.
Airline Industry
Questioned as to whether the Government had been approached by the airline industry to provide financial assistance in the light of the cutbacks they were making in their services, the PMOS said he was not aware of any such approaches and referred journalists to the appropriate Department for further information.
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