Cook Quits Over Iraq Crisis
BBC News

Monday 17 March 2003

Robin Cook has resigned from Tony Blair's cabinet as the build-up to war with Iraq gathers pace.

The decision by the House of Commons leader, one of the highest profile figures in the Labour Party, came as the Cabinet held an emergency meeting in Downing Street.

The UK, US and Spain have effectively abandoned their efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the stand-off.

They are not putting their draft resolution to a vote in the UN Security Council - citing French intransigence.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said: "There are only two options left - either Saddam goes into exile or he is disarmed by force."

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is set to make a Commons statement about the crisis at about 2200 GMT on Monday.

Amid growing disquiet among his backbenchers, Mr Blair will address the Parliamentary Labour Party ahead of a Commons debate on Tuesday.

A vote will then follow on the government's stance.

Mr Prescott said the prime minister would ask for support if the "last resort" of war was needed, and would be setting out the humanitarian effort to rebuild Iraq.

MPs will also hear on Monday evening a personal statement from former Foreign Secretary Mr Cook.

As he left the government ranks, Mr Cook, who saw Mr Blair before the cabinet, said: "It is with regret I have today resigned from the cabinet.

"I can't accept collective responsibility for the decision to commit Britain now to military action in Iraq without international agreement or domestic support."

Short's questions

There had been speculation that International Development Secretary Clare Short, who already threatened to resign, might follow Mr Cook onto the back benches on Monday.

But she refused to comment as she left Monday's Cabinet meeting and there have since been mixed messages about her future.

Mr Cook is the first senior figure to quit over Iraq policy and it is being seen as a major blow to Mr Blair as he faces a growing rebellion within his own party.

His departure was called "very honourable" by former cabinet minister Chris Smith.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell was unsurprised that the "ambiguity" of the government's position was too much for Mr Cook to tolerate.

But Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said that everybody in the Cabinet including the prime minister had anxieties about the idea of a war.

"But none of the rest of us feel that they are enough to make us judge that the government is doing the wrong thing," she told Channel 4 News.

For the Conservatives Michael Ancram urged Mr Blair to ensure his cabinet spoke with one voice.

A poll conducted by ICM for the Guardian suggested that public backing for the prime minister's stance on Iraq may have increased.

However another poll - conducted for the Sun by Mori - suggested 63% of the public are opposed to a war.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office advised all Britons in Kuwait, except diplomatic staff, to leave the country.

The UN ordered weapons inspectors and humanitarian personnel out of Iraq.

The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, said legal authority for war came from three previous UN resolutions.

In an effort to win over sceptics ministers are repeating assurances about the security of Iraq's oil reserves and efforts to resolve the Palestinian crisis.

Ahead of Tuesday's Commons debate, rebel MPs warn they will table an amendment stating there is no moral justification for war without a new resolution.

More Labour MPs than the 122 who voted against the government last time are expected to rebel this time.

Ex-Labour whip Graham Allen and a group of MPs, including Mr Smith, are drawing up the amendment.

It would make clear their support for British troops but challenge the "moral authority" of war.

The Stop The War Coalition is this Saturday organising a repeat of last month's peace rally, which attracted between 750,000 and two million people.

 

---

Go to Original

Cook Gets Commons Ovation
BBC News

Monday 17 March 2003

Robin Cook has told MPs the reason he resigned from the government was that he could not back a march towards a war with Iraq that did not have international and domestic support.

In a statement that won him an unprecedented standing ovation from some fellow MPs, he said it was the UK's decision to no longer pursue a further UN resolution was the catalyst that made him quit as leader of the Commons.

Mr Cook went on to warn that international alliances of all kinds were under threat now that the diplomatic route had been abandoned.

He added that despite his resignation he wanted Tony Blair to continue as leader of the Labour Party and as Prime Minister.

But he added that he would vote against the government's stance on Tuesday.

The resignation is seen as a blow to Mr Blair coming just hours before he is due to ask MPs to authorise the use of "all means necessary" to disarm Iraq.

'No weapons'

Mr Cook said that Iraq's military strength was less than half what it had been at the time of the last Gulf War.

It was illogical to argue, therefore, that Iraq presented a threat and moreover that that threat justified war.

Furthermore, he said, Iraq probably had no weapons of mass destruction in the "commonly understood" sense of being a credible threat that could be delivered on "a city target."

The former foreign secretary went on to express alarm that the US administration seemed more interested in regime change that in Iraq's disarmament.

"What has come to trouble me is that if the hanging chance in Florida had gone the other way and Al Gore had become president [of the United States] we would not be about to commit British troops," he said.

The government has blamed the decision to abandon further attempts to win additional UN backing for war on a combination of French "intransigence" and Saddam Hussein's refusal to disarm.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said: "There are only two options left - either Saddam goes into exile or he is disarmed by force."

Number 10 will now fear that opposition to war among backbench Labour MPs will crystallise around Mr Cook - the most senior figure to quit the government over Iraq.

The former foreign secretary was flanked by other ex-cabinet members Frank Dobson and Chris Smith as he delivered his personal statement.

Amid growing disquiet among his backbenchers, Mr Blair is due to address the Parliamentary Labour Party before leading the Iraq debate.

A vote will then follow on the government's stance.

Short's questions

There had been speculation that International Development Secretary Clare Short, who already threatened to resign, might follow Mr Cook onto the back benches on Monday.

But she refused to comment as she left Monday's Cabinet meeting and there have since been mixed messages about her future.

Former culture secretary Chris Smith has already branded Mr Cook's departure as "very honourable".

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell was unsurprised that the "ambiguity" of the government's position was too much for Mr Cook to tolerate.

But Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said that everybody in the Cabinet including the prime minister had anxieties about the idea of a war.

"But none of the rest of us feel that they are enough to make us judge that the government is doing the wrong thing," she told Channel 4 News.

Ahead of Tuesday's Commons debate, rebel MPs warn they will table an amendment stating there is no moral justification for war without a new resolution.

More Labour MPs than the 122 who voted against the government last time are expected to rebel this time.

Ex-Labour whip Graham Allen and a group of MPs, including Mr Smith, are drawing up the amendment.

It will say that the case for war has yet to be established "especially given the absence of specific UN authorisation" while simultaneously giving their support to British troops.

(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)

All republished content that appears on Truthout has been obtained by permission or license.