BOOKMARKS en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War The Iraq war
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sawers.html Russian Foreign Ministry on MI6 head’s
DISTRIBUTED WITH THE DAILY TELEGRAPH TUESDAY_DECEMBER 22_2009 accusations over Iraq war
Investigation Former Blair adviser tells enquiry that the Kremlin’s sanctions veto made war ‘inevitable’
Britain hides behind Russian ‘guilt’ over Iraq
aged by the lack of evidence of
Saddam Hussein’s possession Primakov: ‘I had not expected such cynicism’
of such weapons. In his inter-
view with BBC One’s Fern Brit- It is well known that for a missiles, since nothing had ap-
ton, Mr Blair said: “I can’t real- number of years a UN Special parently been discovered, and
ly think we would be better Commission tried to establish Butler replied: get agreement
with him [Saddam Hussein] what was the real state of af- with the USA and I’ll do it. Many
and his two sons still in charge… fairs with regard to nuclear people said that Butler had long-
In the end, I had to take the de- weapons in Iraq, but to no avail. standing links with the CIA, but
cision.” This statement seems to Russia did everything it could to nevertheless I had not expected
corroborate Mr Gilligan’s view create the right conditions for such cynicism from him. You see,
that Mr Blair first decided to this commission to work without it was not a question of the ob-
have a war and later searched interruption. The efforts made in jective nature of the verification,
for arguments to back up that this direction proved to be es- so much as the USA’s agreement
decision. In this situation, Rus- sential, since Saddam Hussein to predetermined results.
sia’s opposition or support for occasionally went to extremes in In any case, however, what pre-
sanctions at the UN was a mat- demanding that his presidential vailed was our conviction that
ter of secondary importance, palaces be excluded from the lo- we should give every assist-
dwarfed by Mr Blair’s desire to cations to be inspected, or that ance to the UN Special Com-
make the world a better place Americans be removed from the mission in order to bring to light
without Saddam Hussein. commission. The situation was the real state of affairs regard-
In 2003, Russia was, indeed, improved every time by Russia ing nuclear weapons in Iraq.
against the war in Iraq, and putting persistent pressure on Also we could not ignore the
made a special statement on the Saddam Hussein to co-operate Special Commission’s achieve-
ODD ANDERSEN_AFP matter, refl ecting the common with the Special Commission. I ments, such as deploying mon-
Allied forces did not forsee many critical problems that came after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 position of Russia, France and know this because I was direct- itoring facilities capable of
Germany. Was this attitude dic- ly involved as minister of foreign providing information from in-
tated by “commercial interests” affairs, and Russia’s role can stallations after they had been
As the investigation into the Andrew Gilligan, the former around his efforts to prove that of Russia in Iraq, as Mr Sawers be confirmed by my then col- inspected. Saddam Hussein, in-
circumstances of the US-British defence and diplomatic corre- the British government and in- seems to suggest by his state- leagues, including US Secretary cidentally, never once lifted a
invasion of Iraq in 2003 spondent at BBC’s Radio 4, is telligence tried to “sex up” a ment? Yes, Russia did not make of State Madeleine Albright… hand against these facilities.
continues, Russia unexpectedly rather sceptical of Sawers’ alle- dossier on Iraq’s weapons of a secret out of its desire to get I also recall a conversation with The UN Special Commission’s
popped up as one more brick in gations. “I would say to John mass destruction in the run up back $9bn of Iraqi debt. Moscow Richard Butler, the chairman of investigations ended, as we
the defensive wall that former Sawers: ‘Nice try.’ But I don’t to the war. wanted its money back and its the Special Commission, while know, without result.
officials of Tony Blair’s think there is any truth in what A recent statement by Britain’s business in, just like other cred- he was in Moscow, and what a
government are building around he said at all,” Gilligan said in former prime minister, Tony itors of Iraq, including some re- depressing impression it made An extract from Yevgeny
their actions in 2001-2003. an interview to Moscow-based Blair, that he would have gone spected Nato allies. But the main on me. I asked him whether the Primakov’s book A World
Russia Today television chan- to war even if he had known argument of the opponents of Special Commission could close without Russia? A Product
DMITRY BABICH
nel. “An awful lot of countries that Iraq had no weapons of war, including Russia, was that its file on nuclear weapons and of Political Shortsightedness
RIA NOVOSTI have been breaking sanctions mass destruction, makes Mr the invasion of Iraq was a war of
against Iraq… It was clear that Sawers’ statement even more folly – the term later used by Mr
Blair’s ex-foreign policy advis- the United States and Britain irrelevant. The UN sanctions Obama’s supporters during his
er Sir John Sawers said Russia wanted a war.” were primarily aimed at strip- electoral campaign in 2008. in the Guardian that this war so immoral about Russia’s de-
blocked the “smart sanctions” Mr Gilligan became famous ping Saddam Hussein’s regime Hans Blix, the former chief UN was “a setback in the world’s ef- sire to get back its money and
against Iraq, which the US and thanks to his 2003 investigation of weapons of mass destruction weapons inspector, who headed forts to develop legal restraints prevent an “unnecessary war,”
British delegations lobbied for into the events that led to the which it allegedly possessed. the UN Monitoring,V erifi cation on the use of armed force be- as President Obama recently
in the UN Security Council in war in Iraq. Soon after the start Meanwhile, judging by Mr and Inspection Commission in tween states”. referred to the operation in
2001. In Sawers’ view, this of the war, Mr Gilligan left his Blair’s recent statements, the Iraq before the war, agreed with This is, in fact, a synopsis of Iraq? This is a question Mr Saw-
stance of Russia made the war job at the BBC as a result of a American and British govern- the Russian position before the Russian rhetoric before and ers will have a hard time an-
inevitable. controversy that erupted ments were in no way discour- invasion. Last year Blix wrote after the invasion. So, what was swering.
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Nato request for helicopters
said the alliance’s response was drug trafficking to Russian ter- in a position to help the trans-
too mild. The Nato-Russia ritory is huge and growing. But atlantic security alliance not
council was suspended, but was America and Nato for under- only with helicopters, but also
some time that Russian heli- ghanistan, Moscow has a bar- up and running again less than standable reasons are less keen with new transit routes across
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
copters could be the answer. In gaining chip with which to in- a year later.“So, if the Russians to do it, because if they really Russia for Nato supplies des-
Rasmussen’s trip to Moscow October Dmitry Shugayev, dep- fl uence other areas of Nato pol- can use cooperation on Afghan- start eradicating drugs, it could tined for Afghanistan. And the
hoped to elicit Russia’s indirect uty director of the state-owned icy, said Margot Light, emeritus istan again, then they will… have an extremely destabilis- bottom line is that indirectly
assistance. “I suggested a heli- Russian Technology corpora- professor and guest lecturer on They’d be foolish not to, in a ing, rather than a stabilising ef- contributing to the campaign
copter package. I think Russia tion, announced that his com- international relations at the way,” she said. fect in Afghanistan,” he said. would benefi t Russia. If the Tal-
could contribute in a very con- pany was prepared to provide London School of Economics. But Lukyanov said delays in es- It is still unclear whether a iban return to power in Afghan-
crete way by providing helicop- coalition forces with helicop- “One could argue that it’s al- tablishing cooperative efforts breakthrough is imminent. But istan after US and Nato troops
ters, helicopter training and ters on commercial terms. But ready used it in that way in re- stem from the two sides giving last week marked the fi rst trip exit, then Muslim Central Asia,
spare parts,” Reuters quoted there is still little to show for all lation to the Nato response to different weight to different as- from a Nato chief since the Rus- Russia’s “backyard”, will once
Rasmussen as saying. A heli- this talk. Why has there been no the Georgian war,” said Light. pects of the Afghanistan cam- sia-Georgia conflict last year. again be vulnerable to the
copter shortage has long been a breakthrough? Although Nato condemned paign.“F or example, Russia has The US-Russian “reset” seems spread of Islamic extremism.
problem for Nato in Afghani- As long as Nato is reliant on Russia for its role in the 2008 special interests in combating to be gaining traction in rela- And that will be Russia’s prob-
stan and it has been said for Russia for cooperation on Af- Russia-Georgia confl ict, many drugs in Afghanistan because tions with Nato. Russia is now lem, said Lukyanov.
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