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Iraq inquiry
http://www.bbfans.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=38785
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Author:  Madeline [ 24 Nov 09, 16:00 ]
Post subject:  Iraq inquiry

Iraq inquiry told of 'clear' threat from Saddam Hussein

Sir John Chilcot outlines the inquiry's remit in his opening statement

The UK government "distanced itself" from talk of removing Saddam Hussein in early 2001 despite concerns about his threat, the Iraq inquiry has been told.
BBC

Author:  Madeline [ 24 Nov 09, 16:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

US 'discussing Iraq regime change' two years before war
By Gavin Cordon and Sam Marsden, Press Association
Independent

Author:  Madeline [ 24 Nov 09, 16:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Image

Author:  Madeline [ 24 Nov 09, 16:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Leading article: The crucial questions that the Iraq inquiry must answer
Sir John Chilcot must assert his independence and focus on the key issues

Independent

Author:  Madeline [ 26 Nov 09, 0:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Iraq invasion discussed in 2001 – but was dismissed as illegal
Long-awaited inquiry into toppling of Saddam begins with first witnesses recalling 'drum beat' of war even before 9/11 attacks


By Michael Savage, Political Correspondent
Independent

Author:  Madeline [ 26 Nov 09, 12:57 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Adrian Hamilton: The one thing Chilcot won't reveal is the truth
Those who think the establishment a myth should look to the inquiry's membership

Independent

Author:  Madeline [ 26 Nov 09, 13:23 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

U.S. linked Saddam to 9/11 within hours of attacks, Iraq inquiry is told
Mail

Author:  Madeline [ 26 Nov 09, 17:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Regime change 'may have been planned at ranch'
By Joe Churcher, Press Association
Independent

Author:  JimD [ 26 Nov 09, 19:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Blair and Bush 'agreed' on Iraq regime change in private 2002 Crawford Ranch meeting


DailyWail

Author:  Madeline [ 27 Nov 09, 16:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Iraq invasion was of questionable legitimacy, says envoy
By Sam Marsden and Gavin Cordon, Press Association


The invasion of Iraq was of "questionable legitimacy", Britain's ambassador to the United Nations at the time of the war said today.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock told the official inquiry into the war that although he believed the military action was legal under international law, it did not have majority backing in the UN.

"I regard our participation in the military action in Iraq in March 2003 as legal but of questionable legitimacy in that it did not have the democratically observable backing of the great majority of member states, or even perhaps of the majority of people inside the UK," he said.

Sir Jeremy said he warned the Foreign Office that he was prepared to resign as ambassador to the UN in New York unless there was at least one new Security Council resolution justifying military action.

He said that he did not believe that Britain and the United States could simply say that Iraq was in breach of old resolutions dating back to the 1991 Gulf War requiring Saddam Hussein to give up his weapons of mass destruction.

"I regarded it as necessary politically and legally to have a new resolution - or at least one new resolution. There had to be a new declaration by the Security Council that Iraq was in material breach," he said.

"Because there were different views in Washington as to what they were trying to do with this draft resolution, I wanted to make it clear that if this was just a Potemkin (artificial) exercise in going to the United Nations, I didn't want to be a part of it.

"Therefore, I said I might not be able to continue as ambassador in New York if there was no further updated basis for Iraq as being in material breach."

In November 2002 the Security Council did pass resolution 1441, which provided for the return to Iraq of UN weapons inspectors and was subsequently used by Britain and the US as justification for the invasion.

Sir Jeremy explained his reasons for warning that he might be forced to resign if resolution 1441 was not passed.

At this time there were "noises off" from senior figures in the Bush administration which damaged British attempts to build international agreement on how to deal with Iraq, he said.

He told the inquiry: "The 'noises off' in Washington included noises about 'this is a waste of time, what we need is regime change, why are we bothering with this, we must sweep this aside and do what's going to have to be done anyway, and deal with this with the use of force'.

"London was presented with this and constantly argued back that it was necessary to get a resolution.

"I decided to say that if it happened to become UK policy to go along with abandoning the UN route and go to the use of force without a further resolution, that I would have personal difficulties about that.

"Maybe I thought that I should be clear about that. Maybe I thought that that was a stiffener for London on what I thought should happen.

"But I thought it was a clarifying thing to say that there were limits in what I as a permanent representative could do in New York in terms of what was going on."

He said he communicated his position to Sir Michael Jay, then permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, but could not confirm whether the foreign secretary or prime minister were informed.

Sir Jeremy admitted that the wording of resolution 1441 was "too clever for its own good" in order to meet the demands of different Security Council members.

The resolution was "equivocal" on the issues of what should happen if Saddam did not comply with its terms, and who should be the judge of whether this had happened.

Sir Jeremy said: "We never were active enough after the adoption of 1441 to try and clear up that ambiguity because we thought we had won the point in 1441."

Sir Jeremy said that if military action had been delayed for another six months to October 2003 it would have had greater legitimacy but the momentum in the US was "much too strong for us to counter".

"I did not feel that by March I could represent in my argument in the Security Council that the inspectors had had enough time," he said.

"I would have said it was more than a 50 per cent chance that if we had waited until October, the inspectors would not have found a satisfactory solution and that military force might well have been used at that point, the difference being the legitimacy involved in giving the inspectors greater time."

The inquiry was adjourned until Monday.
Independent

Author:  JimD [ 27 Nov 09, 23:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Chilcot Iraq hearings: An inquiry with everything. . . except answers

Telegraph

Author:  Madeline [ 29 Nov 09, 18:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Iraq: The war was illegal
Then Attorney General Goldsmith was 'pinned to the wall and bullied into keeping quiet' while the Prime Minister kept the Cabinet in the dark


By Brian Brady
Independent

Author:  Madeline [ 30 Nov 09, 16:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Goldsmith was not bullied into declaring Iraq invasion legal, says Blair
Former prime minister denies claims that then-attorney general had been pressured to change stance over legality of conflict

Guardian

Author:  JimD [ 30 Nov 09, 22:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Will Tony Blair ever go on trial after the Chilcot Inquiry?

DailyMail

Author:  Madeline [ 02 Dec 09, 0:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: Iraq inquiry

Chilcot inquiry: US said Iraqis would welcome invasion
• Post-war plans lost due to 'blind spot' in Washington
• Legality of war questioned by top cabinet members

Guardian

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