UK NEWS

STRAW: I DIDN’T SHUN ADVICE THAT IRAQ WAR WAS ILLEGAL

Mr Straw at the inquiry yesterday

Tuesday February 9,2010

By Padraic Flanagan

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(8)

JACK Straw hit back yesterday at claims that he ignored legal advice that the Iraq war would be unlawful without further United Nations backing.

The former Foreign Secretary, making his second appearance before the Iraq inquiry, insisted he had considered the legal advice with “great care” but had good reasons for taking another view.

He said he gave serious attention to a warning from his then senior legal adviser, Sir Michael Wood, that the conflict would be a “crime of aggression” unless Britain achieved a second UN Security Council resolution.

The Liberal Democrats have accused Mr Straw, now Justice Secretary, of preventing the Cabinet from hearing doubts about the legality. In a statement, Mr Straw said that it would be a “fundamentally flawed” system if ministers were obliged to accept all the legal advice they received. “I read Sir Michael’s minute with great care and gave it the serious attention it deserved,” he said. “So much so that I thought I owed him a formal and personal written response rather than simply having a conversation.’’

The inquiry has heard that Sir Michael took issue with Mr Straw in January 2003 over his assertion in a meeting with US vice-president Dick Cheney that Britain would still be “OK” if it failed to get a second resolution.

He wrote: “To use force without Security Council authority would amount to a crime of aggression.” Mr Straw replied: “I note your advice but I do not accept it.”

In his evidence, Mr Straw said: “The final decision on the lawfulness of military action was going to be taken by the Attorney General (Lord Goldsmith) alone.”

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SO BLIND DA

09.02.10, 8:44pm

There are none so blind as those who will not see.
And the only link would be the fact that half of New labour were fully paid up members of the Communist party, and half of them would still join if that party ever came back to power, need a stronger link DA, This is the most un democratic Government I can think this country has known in my lifetime Going to War and invading another country on the say of ones self as leader, then going to the enquiry and brazenly advising War against another country, refusal and U turns on referendums, which had been long promised to decide important issues like signing our sovereignty away to Europe, and giving more power to enforce their laws upon us. still need a stronger link DA.

• Posted by: dunnit • Report Comment

UKIP - MAYBE BETTER P.R. NEEDED

09.02.10, 6:30pm

You are right that I am certainly worried by the Integrity of the UKIP, but not by their support.

I have no doubt that there are many care minded electorate intent in cleaning British Politics up once and for all and you feel it can only be done by a UKIP government. I don’t doubt your integrity or belief even though I do disagree with your method. I do think though that it is unfortunate for UKIP that a lot of BNP comments have similar sounding accusations, threats and racist sounding undertones as those made by some UKIP supporters. Some comments, like your latest, even go as far as saying either they are undecided between UKIP and BNP, or will vote BNP if they decide against UKIP. I think that will be worrying for UKIP candidates eager to distance themselves from any similarity between the two.

I think that given some comments call for civil war, the resurrection of a Cromwell type figure and execution of MPs and anyone else who disagrees, I wouldn’t consider a link between Labour and communism a cheap snipe. I don’t think Labours method of dealing with the economic problems could ever be mistaken by anyone to be remotely communist in style.

• Posted by: TheDA • Report Comment

EH UP DA, YOU'RE AT IT AGAIN

09.02.10, 4:42pm

Linking two party's, hoping to discredit by innuendo. You must be really worried by the Integrity of the UKIP party and their possible surge in support from a care minded electorate intent in cleaning British Politics up once and for all. I fought for the freedom of this Country in more than one Theatre of War and resent the inference I support the BNP, I may decide to one day if all other efforts
fail, I would not link Labour and Communism, some would, but I would consider that a cheap snipe.

• Posted by: dunnit • Report Comment

THANK YOU DUNNIT

09.02.10, 1:32pm

You see dunnit, that’s the difference between you and your few friends, and the majority of the British public. We don’t like being called liars, cheats, fraudulent criminals and traitors when we haven’t been charged because there is no evidence to support such serious accusations. Charges, quite rightly, have been brought where criminal intent appears to be provable. I wouldn’t accuse UKIP supporters, MPs or MEPs of such things unless charges had been brought and a case proved.

That’s the difference between level headed fair-minded people and UKIP/BNP supporters.

If there were any chance of UKIP being in government, I, and I suspect most people, would be very concerned about their intention to change British law and order to the extent where a serious charge will not need to be proved in order to imprison people. Thank you for clarifying that piece of UKIP policy for us.

• Posted by: TheDA • Report Comment

DA BLA BLA

09.02.10, 12:41pm

You never see it as it is, you are blindly defending,
liars, cheats ,Fraudulent Criminals , Traitors.They really don,t care about you ,about nothing in fact but their own Political ends. We are kicking them out DA and bringing in UKIP the party of integrity.

• Posted by: dunnit • Report Comment

SAME OLD, SAME OLD.

09.02.10, 11:03am

Campbell did not cry on the Andrew Marr show.

I think he was more annoyed and exacerbated by the constant same questions from people who don’t want to listen to an answer but just want to keep their self interests in the public eye. Did Andrew Marr really think Mr Campbell was suddenly going to retract his version of events and give him an exclusive?

People who disagree with the military action against Iraq or indeed any other action this government have taken with which they disagree, will never accept any answer they don’t like. They will always look for a conspiracy. As for snakes, you should listen to the venom and vitriol coming from your mouths.

God help your blood pressure when Labour wins the general election.

• Posted by: TheDA • Report Comment