HC Deb 14 July 1993 vol 228 cc963-6
1. Mr. Galloway

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the United Kingdom's Arab allies about the United States' attack upon Baghdad; and if he will make a statement.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Douglas Hogg)

The policies of the Baghdad regime of course cause us great concern and therefore we have frequent and close consultations with our Arab friends and partners.

Mr. Galloway

I thank the Minister for that answer, although it did not answer my question. In their discussions, did his allies tell him that when the 1,000 lb of explosives landed on the house of the celebrated Iraqi artist Leila al-Attar, killing her, her husband, and a member of her staff, and cruelly maiming her children, they had any idea what would arise from the ashes of that disaster? What rises from the ashes of Al Mansour is the barbarism of extremism and fundamentalism, which is breathing down the necks of the allies with whom he has had regular discussions. When the Minister reads of the latest murderous assault that will come any day now, will he bear in mind the fact that as long as our Government and the western powers are ready to pulverise Iraq, but appease Israel, and are ready to starve and blockade innocent Iraqis, but allow Serbia to get off with genocide in Yugoslavia, our Government's policies will be contributing to the disaster that is on its way?

Mr. Hogg

The death of anyone not connected with the aggressive policies of Iraq is to be deeply regretted. However, it was quite plain that the Government of Iraq were behind the attempt to assassinate former President Bush. That was a clear attack on the security of the United States. We believe that, in invoking article 51 of the charter, the United States was entitled to take the action it did, which received broad support.

Mr. Cyril D. Townsend

In considering a response to Iraq's failure to comply with the appropriate Security Council resolution, will the Government be in touch with the political opponents of Saddam Hussein outside Iraq and the Arab countries threatened by Iraq, and will my right hon. and learned Friend ensure that any action taken is proportionate, involves the minimum loss of life and advances the long-term strategic aims of the United Nations?

Mr. Hogg

We will indeed ensure that any action that may have to be taken—I hasten to say that I hope that no action will have to be taken—is proportionate, causes the minimum casualties and is firmly based on international law. We are in continuing discussions with our Arab friends, partners and others about that issue and related matters.

Mr. Dalyell

For the reasons that I gave the Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, Sir Michael Burton, in the interview that was arranged for me by the Foreign Secretary, do Ministers accept that, whether they like it or not, sanctions and bombing strengthen the regime of Saddam Hussein in a way that nothing else could?

Mr. Hogg

I do not accept that point, but I accept that it is extraordinarily difficult by a policy either of sanctions or of bombing to displace Saddam Hussein. It is essential for all of us to ensure full compliance by Iraq with the mandatory elements of the Security Council resolutions, especially those that relate to the eradication of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. We must hold to the sanctions regime if we are to achieve that.

Lady Olga Maitland

What representations has my right hon. and learned Friend had from our Arab allies regarding the missing 627 Kuwaiti prisoners of war—male and female civilians—who were taken from their homes three years ago? To this date, Iraq has failed to comply with United Nations resolutions seeking their release. Will my right hon. and learned Friend make the greatest endeavours to achieve justice in that important humanitarian matter?

Mr. Hogg

My hon. Friend is right. The Government of Kuwait raise the question with us on every possible occasion and we raise it with the Iraqis in New York and at the sanctions review meetings. It is one of the very important respects in which Iraq is in breach of the mandatory parts of the Security Council resolutions and it makes the relaxation of the sanctions regime impossible at the moment.

Mrs. Mahon

How does the Minister expect to secure the release of the three Britons being held in Iraq when his Government condone the bombing? The family of Michael Wainwright think that every time the British Government support such actions, they put the lives of those men in danger.

Mr. Hogg

It is important to separate the two issues. We are, of course, very concerned about the position of Mr. Ride, Mr. Wainwright and Mr. Dunn and we take every opportunity to impress on the Iraqis the fact that we regard the sentences imposed on them as outrageous. As the hon. Lady knows, our representatives saw the three men a few days ago. The Russians have been extremely helpful in facilitating visits to the three men. We will do all that we can to secure their release, but we will not pay any kind of blackmail and we insist on our right to support, for example, the Americans when they exercise their right of self-defence under the charter of the United Nations.

Mr. Brazier

My right hon. and learned Friend has taken a tough and robust stand in forcing the Iraqi regime to conform to the United Nations requirements on weapons of mass destruction. Does he agree that this is a matter in which the vital interests of this country and of every other country in the west and in the civilised world are fundamentally involved? If the west backs off and the United Nations requirements on weapons of mass destruction are not enforced, the consequences are too horrible to consider.

Mr. Hogg

I agree entirely with what my hon. Friend has said. I had the pleasure of seeing Ambassador Ekeus a few days ago and he made two important points. First, he believes that there has been a substantial eradication of weapons of mass destruction by Iraq, but that it has not been completed. Secondly, he believes that provided that we hold to a tough verification and monitoring regime in future, we can prevent the Government of Iraq from reassembling weapons of mass destruction. He goes on to say—and I agree—that if we fail to hold to a tough policy of monitoring and verification, the chances are that the Iraqi Government will do just that.

Dr. John Cunningham

Although we of course support the determination to enforce the resolutions of the UN Security Council in respect of Iraq, what evidence is there that the frequent launching of missiles against Iraq is hastening that process? Is not it really the case that as well as causing the inevitable slaughter of innocent civilians, it causes Iraq to become more intransigent, especially when missiles are launched under questionable legal authority? Is not there also another grave consequence, which is that our friends and allies in other Arab countries in the middle east are themselves politically destabilised? Is not it far better to pursue the action being taken now in the name of the United Nations, which is further discussions and an insistence on Iraq's meeting the requirements of the resolutions, than to contemplate yet another missile attack, with yet more civilian casualties and yet more support for the odious regime of Saddam Hussein?

Mr. Hogg

The right hon. Gentleman has raised a number of points and I shall be unable to reply to them all. First, I say at once that I deplore as much as he does the civilian casualties. That is, indeed, a tragedy and one cannot pretend otherwise. Secondly, I do not believe that our friends and allies in the middle east are being destabilised.

Dr. John Cunningham

Yes, they are.

Mr. Hogg

I do not believe—it is a matter of judgment—that they are being destabilised in the way that the right hon. Gentleman has claimed. Thirdly, I do not feel uneasy about the legal basis for the action in the way that the right hon. Gentleman apparently does.

Lastly, of course we hope that we can avoid future military action. I hope that the Iraqis will comply with the mandatory elements of resolution 687, but the right hon. Gentleman must ask himself what we should do if they do not. That takes me back to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Canterbury (Mr. Brazier).