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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| UN feeble over Saddam - Miliband | UN feeble over Saddam - Miliband |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The "successive failures" of the United Nations to follow through threats to Saddam Hussein weakened it ahead of the Iraq war, David Miliband has said. | The "successive failures" of the United Nations to follow through threats to Saddam Hussein weakened it ahead of the Iraq war, David Miliband has said. |
| The UK foreign secretary said scope for action against him had become "severely limited" by "feeble follow-through". | The UK foreign secretary said scope for action against him had become "severely limited" by "feeble follow-through". |
| Mr Miliband told the Iraq inquiry that international agencies thought Saddam posed "the material to be a danger". | Mr Miliband told the Iraq inquiry that international agencies thought Saddam posed "the material to be a danger". |
| But he said he disagreed with former US Vice-President Dick Cheney that Iraq was an "epicentre of terrorism". | But he said he disagreed with former US Vice-President Dick Cheney that Iraq was an "epicentre of terrorism". |
| The US-led coalition which launched an invasion of Iraq in March 2003 did so without a further UN resolution explicitly backing the action. | The US-led coalition which launched an invasion of Iraq in March 2003 did so without a further UN resolution explicitly backing the action. |
| 'Harsher measures' | 'Harsher measures' |
| The inquiry heard that Saddam had faced 14 resolutions since the Gulf War of 1991, including sanctions, no-fly zones and a naval embargo. | |
| Mr Miliband said: "The sanctions had shown its own severe limitations. The record since 1991 had shown severe limitations in the UN's willingness to follow through on the demands it had made. | Mr Miliband said: "The sanctions had shown its own severe limitations. The record since 1991 had shown severe limitations in the UN's willingness to follow through on the demands it had made. |
| "The longer the UN fails to impose its will, the harsher the measures required when it does impose its will." | "The longer the UN fails to impose its will, the harsher the measures required when it does impose its will." |
| Mr Miliband also said: "The authority of the UN, I think, would have been severely dented if the hypothetical case that you are putting - that we had marched to the top of the hill of pressure and then walked down again without disarming Saddam - then I think that would have been really quite damaging for any of the multilateral aims that we have that need to be pursued through the UN." | |
| He told the inquiry: "The fact that the argument was made very clearly, notably in this country, that feeble follow-through undermines strong words, I think, is significant." | |
| He said: "The argument that Saddam was the best bulwark against Iran and the Iranians the best bulwark against Saddam was not a terribly good case." | |
| The foreign secretary, who was an education minister when the Iraq war started, will be followed by Sir Bill Jeffrey, the permanent under-secretary at the Ministry of Defence. | The foreign secretary, who was an education minister when the Iraq war started, will be followed by Sir Bill Jeffrey, the permanent under-secretary at the Ministry of Defence. |
| On Friday, Gordon Brown told the inquiry he had not deprived the services of equipment while chancellor. | On Friday, Gordon Brown told the inquiry he had not deprived the services of equipment while chancellor. |