§ Q2. Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)If he will hold discussions with the Governments of (a) Bahrain, (b) the United Arab Emirates, (c) Saudi Arabia, (d) Iran and (e) Turkey on the future of UN sanctions against Iraq.
§ The Prime MinisterWe maintain regular contacts with all these Governments on a wide range of issues, including the UN sanctions regime against Iraq.
§ Mr. DalyellAs four of the countries mentioned in the question have already sent embassies to Baghdad; as the Government of Italy have sent an embassy to Baghdad since the question was tabled; and as even the Saudis are extremely ambivalent about the Qatar proposals, has not the time come to reflect on whether the policy of sanctions is not counter-productive?
§ The Prime MinisterSecurity Council resolution 1284, as my hon. Friend knows, is a way forward that would allow us to get to the point of suspending sanctions. However, that can be done only if Iraq complies with the international community's demands to halt the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.
In respect of humanitarian aid, as I have said to my hon. Friend many times, Iraq has the ability to get as much of that aid as it wants and to use it for its people and for medicines and medical facilities, but it is not choosing to do so. So we have to keep up the pressure for Iraq to come into line with the Security Council resolutions. Of course we feel for the humanitarian suffering in Iraq, but the only way of making sure that we do not allow Saddam Hussein to use that as a bargaining counter to start developing these weapons again is to stick to the principles that the UN set out.