The wrong way to do the right thing
10th March 2003
This week the House of Commons will be debating Waste Recycling, Community Pharmacies, Women's Pensions and Britain's Coastal Defences – but MPs minds will be on Iraq.
The subject dominates our post bags, telephone calls and conversations in the Lobbies, bars and tea rooms. Never have I seen MPs so concerned.
That is why when Radio 4's "Today" programme asked me to comment on military action last Saturday I decided to say that I could not support it without a second United Nations resolution. To do so would be to do the right thing the wrong way.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Iraq poses a very real threat to the peace and stability of our world. That is why it must be disarmed.
There is also absolutely no doubt in my mind that without the Prime Ministers efforts, the United States would not be trying to do this through the United Nations.
Tony Blair played a crucial part in the formation of the international coalition which passed Resolution 1441. He is now playing a crucial part in trying to get a second resolution through the 15 members of the Security Council.
I hope and pray that he succeeds. Our cause is just but without that second resolution we are in danger of compromising its legitimacy. This is important. We have entered a new phase in international relations and we need to follow some rules. Nowadays wars can be waged on the basis of pre-emption or liberation. Neither of these were mentioned in the Treaty of Westphalia, signed in 1648. This was the basis of the old way of going to war.
Then, territorial threat and invasion were the only legitimate causes for military action. Though Saddam Hussein has invaded his neighbours in the recent past he is not, at present, doing so or threatening to do so. But we may have to go to war to stop him doing so.
Though I, personally, have no problem with this, many people do. What I have a problem with is doing it unilaterally. Society does not let individuals take the law into their own hands. The world cannot let individual countries take the law into their own hands. That is why we need the second resolution. That is why, without it, I cannot support military action against Iraq.
Barbara Follett MP
