§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 March,Official Report, column 175, if he will make a statement on the performance of the defence intelligence staff in its provision of assessments relating to (a) Iraqi defence policies, (b) Iraqi intentions and (c) Iraqi military capabilities.
§ Mr. HanleyThe Defence intelligence staff (DIS) had been monitoring the development of Iraqi military capabilities and defence policies for some time. The build-up of Iraqi forces on the Kuwait border in late July 1990 was recognised as a major escalation although there was no information on the precise intentions of Saddam Hussein to determine the timing of the hostilities. The availability of a comprehensive intelligence data base on Iraqi military capabilities, to which the DIS contributed significantly, was an important factor in the coalition effort.