Published on Thursday, March 21, 2002 in the Telegraph (UK)
UK Warns Saddam of Nuclear Retaliation
by George Jones, Political Editor and Anton La Guardia
BRITAIN would be ready to make a nuclear strike against states such as Iraq
if they used weapons of mass destruction against British forces, Geoff Hoon,
the Defense Secretary, told MPs yesterday.
He issued his warning as officials in Washington and London privately
predicted that military action to try to topple Saddam Hussein was likely to
be launched at the end of the year.
Mr Hoon was briefing the Commons defense select committee on the threat
posed by four countries Britain had identified as "states of concern": Iraq,
Iran, Libya and North Korea.
He said that Saddam had already used chemical weapons against his own
people. The possibility that rogue states would be prepared to use such
weapons again, possibly sacrificing their own population, could not be ruled
out.
He said that dictators such as Saddam "can be absolutely confident that in
the right conditions we would be willing to use our nuclear weapons.
"What I cannot be absolutely confident about is whether that would be
sufficient to deter them from using a weapon of mass destruction in the
first place."
Mr Hoon's willingness to confirm readiness to use nuclear weapons in such
circumstances was seen at Westminster as a clear sign that the Government is
becoming more alarmed that Saddam is developing chemical, biological and
nuclear weapons.
A joint Ministry of Defense and Foreign Office paper to the committee said
it was a "serious cause for concern" that states were developing a ballistic
missile capability at the same time as they were seeking to acquire weapons
of mass destruction.
Mr Hoon said that Britain could come within range of missiles fired from the
Middle East within the "next few years".
Although Mr Hoon later denied in the Commons that any decision had been
taken on military action against Iraq, his comments about the nuclear
deterrent will add to Labour MPs' concern that such preparations are being
actively considered.
His forthrightness was unexpected, because many Labour MPs are opposed to
retaining nuclear weapons.
In the 1980s Labour was unilateralist and Tony Blair was briefly a member of
the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, although as party leader he has backed
the nuclear deterrent.
Mr Hoon's comments follow similar noises from America. Two weeks ago a
leaked Pentagon policy document laid out the possibility of a "devastating
response" to the use of biological or chemical weapons against American
troops.
The Prime Minister intends to use the large deployment of British fighting
forces to Afghanistan as a political lever to push President Bush into
seeking United Nations approval for any military action against Iraq.
He supports Mr Bush in his campaign to remove Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction and topple Saddam, but wants to broaden the front.
Downing Street hopes the deployment to Afghanistan of 1,700 British troops,
led by 45 Commando the Royal Marines, a unit specializing in Arctic warfare,
will strengthen his position when he meets Mr Bush at his Texas ranch after
Easter.
"The speed and size of the deployment to Afghanistan is a check that Blair
will cash in," a source said. "He will tell Bush that he needs to carry the
international community with him."
The Foreign Office, in particular, is deeply worried about the impact that a
war in Iraq would have on the Middle East. But it appears to have been
overruled by Mr Blair.
"The Prime Minister thinks Saddam poses a threat that has to be met with a
strong response," a source said. "He is feeling gung-ho."
Whitehall officials said that America first made its request for commandos
at the height of Operation Anaconda this month in a "panicky" response to
the unexpectedly fierce resistance Taliban and al-Qa'eda fighters put up in
the mountains south of Kabul.
The United States suffered its biggest casualties of the war on the opening
day of Anaconda, when eight Americans and at least three Afghan allies were
killed.
This week America said Anaconda had been successful, but British officials
privately spoke of "a near disaster" and said many guerrillas appeared to
have slipped away despite American claims to have killed hundreds of the
enemy.
Dick Cheney, the American vice-president, headed home yesterday after an
11-day tour of the Middle East in which he received little support for an
attack on Iraq. Instead he was urged to do more to end the fighting between
Israel and the Palestinians.
As Iraq gloated about Mr Cheney's "bitter disappointment", the Turkish prime
minister, Bulent Ecevit, said he felt greatly relieved that Washington was
not planning imminent action against Iraq.
"This does not mean an operation has been ruled out," he said. "But I do not
think there could be military action in the coming few months."
� Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002
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