Trust Tony's judgment
by Bill Clinton

Tuesday March 18, 2003 - The Guardian

Last October, when I spoke at the Labour conference in Blackpool, I supported the efforts of President Bush and Prime Minister Blair to renew efforts to eliminate Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, and to try to accomplish this through the UN.

In November, the UN security council adopted unanimously resolution 1441, giving Saddam a "final opportunity" to disarm, after 12 years of defying UN resolutions requiring him to do so. The resolution made it clear that continued sanctions were not sufficient and that continued defiance would lead to serious consequences.

The credit for 1441 belongs in large measure to Blair, who saw it as a chance to disarm Saddam in a way that strengthened the UN and preserved the Atlantic alliance. Unfortunately, the consensus behind 1441 has unravelled. Saddam has destroyed some missiles but beyond that he has done only what he thinks is necessary to keep the UN divided on the use of force. The really important issues relating to chemical and biological weapons remain unresolved.

] But if we leave Iraq with chemical and biological
] weapons, after 12 years of defiance, there is a
] considerable risk that one day these weapons will fall
] into the wrong hands and put many more lives at risk than
] will be lost in overthrowing Saddam.

] Last October, when I spoke at the Labour conference in
] Blackpool, I supported the efforts of President Bush and
] Prime Minister Blair to renew efforts to eliminate Saddam
] Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, and to try to
] accomplish this through the UN.
]
] In November, the UN security council adopted unanimously
] resolution 1441, giving Saddam a "final opportunity" to
] disarm, after 12 years of defying UN resolutions
] requiring him to do so. The resolution made it clear that
] continued sanctions were not sufficient and that
] continued defiance would lead to serious consequences.
]
] The credit for 1441 belongs in large measure to Blair,
] who saw it as a chance to disarm Saddam in a way that
] strengthened the UN and preserved the Atlantic alliance.
] Unfortunately, the consensus behind 1441 has unravelled.
] Saddam has destroyed some missiles but beyond that he has
] done only what he thinks is necessary to keep the UN
] divided on the use of force. The really important issues
] relating to chemical and biological weapons remain
] unresolved.