The attack on Iraq is predicated on the lie that
Saddam Hussein is connected with al Qa'ida and with the horrific events of 9/11. In his
State of the Union address in late January, President Bush stated "Evidence from
intelligence sources, secret communications, and statements by people now in custody,
reveals that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists including members of Al
Qa’ida". On 17.03.03, President Bush repeated these claims and, in his war
address, on 19.03.03 he stated "We will meet that threat now with our army, air
force, navy, coastguard and marines so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of
firefighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities" – the use
of firefighters clearly being an emotive reference to 9/11.
When I questioned him on 18.03.03
the Prime Minister said he supported the assertions made by President Bush and the Defence
Secretary, Geoff Hoon stated on 20.03.03
"There are clear links between the Iraqi regime and al-Qaeda. We are not sure of
the precise nature of those links, but we are certainly aware that they exist".
However, when the Under Secretary of State responsible for Iraq, Mike O’Brien,
was asked on 25.03.03
what assessment he has made of the links between the Iraqi regime and terrorism in the
Middle East, he did not mention any link between Iraq and Al-Qa’ida.
Whilst there are links between Iraq and other terrorists and Saddam Hussein has paid
money to the families of suicide bombers in Palestine (although so have other Governments,
including Saudi Arabia), there are no links between the Iraqi dictatorship and
al-Qa’ida. The small paramilitary groups that Iraq has supported, the Arab Liberation
Front (in Palestine) and the Mujahidin e-Khalq (for Iran) have never received access to
Iraq’s more advanced weaponry (for more information see 'Counter
Dossier' by Labour Against the War and the text of the Speech I
prepared for the debate in the House on 18 March 2003).
Despite massive global opposition, in the early hours of 20 March, the US launched the
war on Iraq. By chance I had been drawn at no. 1 in the ballot for oral questions that
morning. I used the opportunity to highlight the lies Bush was telling his people and to
try and call for a suspension of Parliamentary Business to receive an urgent statement
before the UK joined the war. (Click here
for the Hansard record).
To get public support for their war, George Bush and members of his administration
continue to make repeated inferences to 9/11 to maintain the fear level of the American
people and thereby scare them into believing the lie that Saddam Hussein is a threat to US
shores. By doing so they are manipulating a people’s sincerely held grief in order to
wage war for political – not humanitarian – ends which is a terrible thing to
do. If we are to avoid future pre-emptive conflicts, this kind of misinformation must be
exposed. Despite the fact that the war is now happening history must hold to account those
responsible for bringing further chaos and instability to the world.