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Mr. Harry Barnes (North-East Derbyshire): My right hon. Friend has correctly pointed out that Saddam Hussein presents a serious danger to his middle eastern neighbours. What is their response to that danger? What are the attitudes of some of those neighbours, such as Iran, Syria and the Gulf states?
Mr. Cook: We seek a close dialogue with those countries, and will undertake our own diplomatic efforts in that regard. Mr. Cohen, the United States Secretary of State for Defence, is on his way to the Gulf to consult those allies and discuss their approach to the present crisis.
I remind the House that, when we last had a confrontation with Baghdad, in February, there was considerable understanding from the Gulf states, which adopted a strong statement making it clear that, if force were used, responsibility for its being required would lie squarely with Baghdad. I hope that we will see the same degree of understanding and support from those countries now. After all, they know that, if the United Nations walked away, they are the ones that would be at risk from Baghdad's military machine.
Mr. Tim Collins (Westmorland and Lonsdale):
Given the devastating allegations made earlier this year by Scott
Mr. Cook:
Whether Mr. Ritter's allegations are devastating depends on whether one regards them as credible. I have no need to give the hon. Gentleman an assurance that henceforth we will give full support to UNSCOM; we have always done so, and Britain has been among the leading supporters of its work. After everything that the previous Administration did to cut the finances and resources of our defence forces, a period of silence from the Opposition on that score would be welcome.
Mr. Ernie Ross (Dundee, West):
May I assure my right hon. Friend that everyone in the House will agree with the actions that the world community has taken? The latest episode shows that Saddam Hussein is a past master of using events in the region to his advantage. We have only to consider the fact that King Hussein is in America receiving medical treatment, and that the middle east peace talks, although there was agreement at Wye, have yet to move forward, to see why Saddam Hussein felt confident enough to test the will of the world community.
Unless the world community is absolutely resolute in its determination to oppose Saddam Hussein and bring him to heel, he will continue to flout the resolutions, with which he still has not complied. The message must go out from the House that we are united in seeing through the antics of that idiot.
Mr. Cook:
I agree that Saddam will continue to play box and cox with the world community, in the hope that on some occasion we shall give up and go away, and leave the ring to him. It is important that he understands that we will not do that this time, or any other time. The secret to our carrying conviction when we say that is to appear united both as a nation and as a member of the international community.
Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West):
Given the grave nature of the capabilities of Saddam Hussein that are now being discovered, and the desire that our defence policy be foreign-policy-led, will the Secretary of State make representations to the Ministry of Defence to ensure that we maintain a nuclear, biological and chemical capability in the Territorial Army? Does he agree that the decision of the United States to create 170 such units is instructive in that context?
Mr. Cook:
I am not entirely sure that the hon. Gentleman is rising to the gravity of the international issue that we are considering. We have no evidence that Saddam now has the capability to hit the United Kingdom. None the less, we are determined not to leave him in possession of the capability that he has.
Mr. Mike Gapes (Ilford, South):
Will my right hon. Friend utterly reject the propaganda by Radio Baghdad,
Mr. Cook:
My hon. Friend draws a clear and important contrast between Iraq and Israel. In Israel there is a lively, open and free debate about the peace process and the next steps that the country should take. That underlines the stark contrast between the two. None the less, I hope that it will be possible for us to build on the recent agreement to achieve progress in the middle east peace process, and that it will provide stability for the region. I hope that we shall be able to demonstrate to the countries involved the fact that we seek even-handedly to build stability and security throughout the region.
Mr. Crispin Blunt (Reigate):
Will the Foreign Secretary confirm that we are now in a more serious situation than in February, because of Iraq's violation of the will of the international community? Backed by UN Security Council resolution 1154, are we not back to the position as of February, except that the agreement with Kofi Annan has also been violated? Will the right hon. Gentleman address again the concerns of my right hon. and learned Friend the shadow Foreign Secretary about the Security Council resolution that he is tabling today, and ensure that it is at least as strong as resolution 1154, so that no one can take the view that the international community has stepped back from the position that it took last February?
Mr. Cook:
I can certainly assure the hon. Gentleman that we have no intention of weakening the position of the international community at the present time, and that will not be the effect of the draft text that we have prepared for debate within the Security Council. He is right, in the sense that the international community is in a stronger position now than it was at the start of the year because of the passage of resolution 1154 and the signing of the memorandum of understanding. It is now quite clear what Saddam Hussein has to do. It is quite clear that he accepted that in February. It is also quite clear what the consequences would be of his violating that understanding.
Mr. Julian Brazier (Canterbury):
Is it not clear that giving effect to those aims may eventually require more than air strikes, which are in danger of becoming the 20th-century equivalent of sending a gunboat? Will the Foreign Secretary ask his colleagues in the Ministry of Defence to revisit the assumptions that they have made in the strategic defence review on sustainability across all three services and in our defence industry, as the Americans are doing at this very moment?
Mr. Cook:
I must remind the House that this Government took office after a period of substantial and continual cuts in Britain's defence capacity. Those cuts have now been arrested. We have produced a strategic defence review which meets the real needs of Britain in
Mr. Andrew Robathan (Blaby):
I am sure that almost everybody in the House would commend the Foreign Secretary on his resolve. However, he speaks of patience--does he not think that the world has been patient for long enough? Will he confirm that all avenues of the UN have been explored over eight years, yet Saddam Hussein still undermines the stability and peace of the region and terrorises his own people?
Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that Saddam Hussein's regime has no legitimate authority, but only the authority of force and the de facto authority that that gives him? The Foreign Secretary has said that he believes that we have no argument with the people of Iraq. Will he therefore take steps, through the UN, to arraign or indict Saddam before either a specially set up international tribunal or the projected International Criminal Court?
Mr. Cook:
Saddam Hussein is the best single case for the International Criminal Court which we supported in Rome in the summer. I very much hope that it will be possible for us to make as rapid progress as we can in getting that court set up. In the meantime, we remain open to proposals for an international tribunal specifically to consider Iraq and Saddam Hussein. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that Saddam is plainly guilty of major atrocities and offences against humanitarian and international law, and it is entirely regrettable that, at present, there is no international mechanism to hold him to justice. We would wish to see that there was such a mechanism.
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