Archive - Friday, 13 February 2004


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MP backs calls for UN Iraq inquiry

STROUD MP David Drew has added his name to a Commons Early Day Motion calling on Tony Blair to shop America to the United Nations for supplying weapons of mass destruction to Iraq.

In 1972 both Britain and the US were among the nations that signed up to the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention which sought to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

But in the 1980s, under the presidency of Ronald Reagan, US companies flagrantly breached the convention, openly supplying Saddam Hussein with a number of deadly biological agents including anthrax and botulinum toxin.

Ten years ago the US Senate published a report outlining these deals which all took place with the blessing of the country's Department of Commerce.

Mr Drew is now backing the Early Day Motion which demands that Tony Blair adheres to UK's stated policy on the convention and formally report the US to the United Nation Security Council so a full investigation can be carried out.

"I think it's a good idea," said Mr Drew. "Let's have a full investigation of who has got what and where it came from. It'll take an eternity, but let's get on with it."

He said the US Government was in a difficult position as some members of the administration had been around in the Reagan era and were involved to a certain degree on supplying Saddam with weapons of mass destruction.

"They've admitted it - it's a matter of public record," he said. "They were more concerned about Iran at the time and made a terrible mistake.

"To my mind the important issue now is, if they're not still in Iraq, where are they?

"They either destroyed them, which is not a straightforward process and you would have thought someone would know about it, or they are hidden or they have been moved somewhere else.

"I've always believed the third of these. I think these things were spirited out of the country in the confusion before the conflict and the important thing now is to find out where they went and to what purpose."