Jack Straw said:

'This is a serious report. The ISG has produced further conclusive and incontrovertible evidence that the Saddam regime was indeed in breach of UNSCR 1441.

Kay’s report confirms how dangerous and deceitful the regime was, and how the military action was indeed both justified and essential to remove the dangers.

The ISG has discovered 'dozens of WMD-related programme activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations during the inspections that began in late 2002'. These include:

• a clandestine network of laboratories within the Iraqi intelligence service suitable for chemical and biological weapons research;
• strains of biological organisms concealed in a scientist’s home, one of which could be used to produce biological weapons;
• new research on BW applicable agents;
• testing of unmanned aerial vehicles well beyond UN limits;
• advanced design work for long range missiles well outside UN limits and clandestine attempts to obtain technology and missiles from North Korea;

The report contains compelling evidence of concealment. One scientist hid a vial containing botulinum and has identified a large cache of biological agents he refused to conceal.

And Kay reports that evidence from Iraqi scientists and senior government officials was that Saddam remained firmly committed to acquiring nuclear weapons, and some of those officials indicated a resumption after Iraq was free of sanctions.

The Iraq Survey Group report is an interim report, produced in three months in difficult circumstances. As the report says, it is too early to reach conclusions. But it contains much information which should on any objective judgement lead to the conclusion that the Saddam regime was employed in a wide-range of illegal activities in contravention of categorical UN obligations.'

Notes for Editors

 

Back to newsroom

Back to top