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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation '100 per cent' behind Iraq evidence, Tony Blair, June 2, 2003'PM says he is '100 per cent' behind Iraq evidence', transcript of press conference at the G8 summit, June 2, 2003. QUESTION: You were discussing weapons of mass destruction. In relation to Iraq, two of your former Cabinet colleagues, Clare Short and Robin Cook, have suggested that the evidence you presented in the run up to the conflict was at best misleading and at worst deliberately deceiving. Could I ask how do you argue that people should believe you and not them, and could I ask if you stand by your assertion before the war that Saddam Hussein was capable of delivering a weapon of mass destruction at 45 minutes notice? PRIME MINISTER: I stand absolutely 100% behind the evidence, based on intelligence, that we presented to people, and let me just make one or two things clear. Firstly the idea that we doctored intelligence reports in order to invent some notion about a 45 minute capability of delivering weapons of mass destruction, the idea that we doctored such intelligence is completely and totally false. Every single piece of intelligence that we presented was cleared very properly by the Joint Intelligence Committee. Secondly, the idea, as apparently Clare Short is saying, that I made some secret agreement with George Bush back last September that we would invade Iraq in any event at a particular time, is also completely and totally untrue. What I have explained to people is that we are 5 or 6 weeks after the end of the conflict, the first priority has been to re-establish the basic humanitarian services for people in Iraq. In relation to weapons of mass destruction, there is an international survey group that is going in, actually starting its work this week. They will be interviewing scientists and experts, they will be investigating the sites. When we accumulate that evidence properly we will give it to people. And I simply say to you that the British intelligence services are amongst the best and finest in the world, and the idea that Saddam Hussein has for 12 years been obstructing the UN weapons and inspectors, has been engaged in this huge battle with the international community, when all the way along he had actually destroyed these weapons, is completely absurd. So I simply ask people to just have a little patience. There is a process in place, it will take some time to carry out, but when we get the results of it we will put it before people. QUESTION: You keep saying evidence. Is it the case though that it is possible that we may never find the weapons of mass destruction, simply evidence that at one point or other they did exist? PRIME MINISTER: As I say, I think it would be useful if we waited until we actually got the full evidence before us. But I would point out to you, we already have, according to our experts, two mobile biological weapons facilities that were almost certainly part, according to our intelligence, of a whole set of those facilities. We have a situation where I don't think there is any doubt in anybody's mind that Saddam Hussein accumulated these weapons, indeed he used the weapons against his own people. And I have no doubt at all, as I said to you earlier, that the assessments that were made by the British intelligence services will turn out to be correct. So why don't we just wait and let the people do their work properly. In the meantime, it is important that people don't make a judgement until they actually get what the experts uncover. Source: 10 Downing Street website, http://www.number- © 2003 The Acronym Institute. |