Dossier will 'prove beyond doubt' Saddam's threat
British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s 50-page dossier on Iraq will prove “beyond doubt” that Saddam Hussein’s regime has weapons of mass destruction, Government sources said tonight.
Mr Blair hopes the document will win over sceptics in his own party and convince the international community that action has to be taken against Saddam.
The premier is braced for a potentially bruising Commons debate on Tuesday when Parliament is recalled to discuss the growing crisis, with his own backbench opponents of any military action expected to voice their criticism.
Dozens of Labour MPs could vote against the Government, on a technical motion, highlighting Labour divisions as Tory and Liberal Democrat MPs abstain.
British and American officials at the United Nations in New York were today reported to be continuing their drive to persuade its security council to adopt a tough new resolution on the need for Iraq’s immediate compliance with a weapons inspection regime.
Iraq said today it would not comply with any new UN resolution that was not in line with an agreement it says it has already reached with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to allow inspectors back in.
But UK and US diplomats are said to hope to have the wording of such a resolution, setting out a strict timetable for the inspections, ready by as early as next week for the security council to consider.
To underline their message, American General Tommy Franks announced in Kuwait today that US forces under his central command in the Gulf region were now ready “to undertake whatever activities we might be directed to take by our nation”.
He insisted no decisions on military action had been taken but added: “The only course of action that is not available to us is to continue the course of action that we have seen over the last 11 years.”
British Government sources said the dossier to be published by Downing Street on Tuesday, a few hours before the Commons meets, would “confirm beyond any doubt” Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Blair will highlight to MPs the contrast between the UK’s intelligence assessment and the statement read out on Thursday to the UN by Iraqi foreign minister Naji Sabri claiming his country was now clear of such weapons.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has already condemned that as “a blatant untruth”.
The Cabinet will meet on Monday afternoon to be given their preview of the dossier before it is officially published at 8am the next day.
Mr Blair was given a flavour of some domestic opposition to military action against Iraq today when Plaid Cymru’s annual conference, meeting in Llandudno, north Wales, passed a motion saying the US was motivated by oil “as it was in the Gulf War”.
The Welsh nationalists also warned military action risked sparking World War Three and would lead to revenge attacks and increased terrorism.
