§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
In the light of the arguments set out in the International Herald Tribune on 17 February, whether they still consider that the USA has legal authority to attack Iraq.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The US position on legal justification for the use of force is a matter for them. Security Council Resolution 1154, unanimously adopted on 2 March, makes clear that if Iraq violates the agreement signed between the UN Secretary-General and Iraqi Deputy Minister, the severest consequences will follow.
Throughout the crisis with Iraq we pursued a policy of backing up our intensive diplomatic efforts with the threat of force if Saddam Hussein failed to comply. This was a key factor in focusing his mind on reaching an agreement with the UN.