Blair, Bush set for war in '03

2006-02-03 08:26

London - United States President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair were ready to go to war against Iraq with or without a second United Nations resolution, said reports on Thursday.

The allegation was based on a White House memo - which the programme said it had seen - after a meeting between the two men in Washington on January 31 2003.

In the memo Bush was alleged to have said that military action against former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein would start on March 10 2003. The war actually started 10 days later on March 20.

UN security council resolution

The reports said that according to the memo, Bush stated that the US would put "its full weight behind the effort to get another (UN security council) resolution" and would "twist arms" and "even threaten" to get it.

Bush said: "If ultimately we fail, military action would follow anyway."

To Bush's assertion, Blair was alleged to have replied that he was "solidly" behind the US president and that he was "ready to do whatever it takes to disarm Saddam".

The reports added that for Blair, "a second UN resolution against Iraq would provide an insurance policy against the unexpected and international cover, including with the Arabs".

UN resolution 1441

On the other hand, in January 2003, less than two months before the start of the military action, the two leaders didn't seem persuaded that Iraq had made any material breach of UN resolution 1441.

During their discussion at the White House, Bush was alleged to have said that the US thought of "flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq painted in UN colours", explaining that "if Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach".

According to a high-ranking UN source cited on condition of anonymity by the reports, it was perfectly possible to fly planes out of range of Iraqi missiles.

He said: "Talks of Saddam firing on them suggest to some that the US was almost willing Saddam to strike out on the plane."

- AFP