§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw)As I have made clear to the House on a number of occasions, our policy on Iraq is to ensure Iraq complies with its obligations under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), including by giving up its weapons of mass destruction. I thought, however, that the House would now appreciate a more detailed statement of the Government's objectives on Iraq.
Our prime objective is to rid Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their associated programmes and means of delivery, including prohibited ballistic missiles (BM), as set out in UNSCRs. This would reduce Iraq's ability to threaten its neighbours and the region, and prevent Iraq using WMD against its own people. UNSCRs also require Iraq to renounce terrorism, and return captured Kuwaitis and property taken from Kuwait.
These UNSCRs are an expression of the will of the international community, with which Iraq has persistently failed to comply, thereby perpetuating the threat to international peace and security.
A further objective is to maintain the authority of the United Nations by demonstrating the Security Council's effective response to the challenge posed by Iraq's non-compliance. Success in achieving our prime objective should help deter the proliferation of WMD and BM more generally.
We have pursued these objectives through the United Nations, culminating in the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of UNSCR 1441 (2002) on 8 November 2002.
Our immediate priorities are to:
a) Support the work of the UNMOVIC/IAEA inspectors in Iraq;
b) Enable UNMOVIC/IAEA to institute long-term measures to ensure compliance as part of their Ongoing Monitoring and Verification regime;
c) Maintain international solidarity behind the United Nations Security Council and support for effective UN MOVIC/IAEA action;
d) Preserve regional stability;
e) Continue to make military plans and preparations in case military action is required to enforce compliance by Iraq with its WMD/BM obligations under UNSCRs;
f) Continue to support humanitarian efforts to relieve the suffering of the Iraqi people.
We would like Iraq to become a stable, united and law abiding state, within its present borders, co-operating with the international community, no longer posing a 5WS threat to its neighbours or to international security, abiding by all its international obligations and providing effective and representative government for its own people.
These objectives are consistent with wider government policy, which includes:
a) Efforts to resolve other causes of regional instability, including the Middle East Peace Process;
b) Wider political engagement with Arab countries and the Islamic world;
c) Efforts to counter the proliferation of WMD; and
d) The elimination of terrorism as a force in international affairs.
To achieve our objectives we will act in conformity with international law, including the United Nations Charter and international humanitarian law.
6WSConsistent with the above, we are working intensively with our allies and partners to secure the peaceful disarmament of Iraq's WMD by means of UNMOVIC/IAEA inspections. But as SCR 1441 makes clear, if the Iraqi regime does not comply, it will face serious consequences.