Tony Blair at British Iraq Inquiry, Part 3

Jan 29, 2010

United Kingdom | Committee of Inquiry on the Iraq War

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair testified before the Committee of Inquiry on the Iraq War. Topics included the invasion decision-making process; threat assessments before and after the attacks of September 11, 2001; and the weapons inspections and meetings the former prime minister had with President Bush in Washington, D.C., and in .. Read More
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair testified before the Committee of Inquiry on the Iraq War. Topics included the invasion decision-making process; threat assessments before and after the attacks of September 11, 2001; and the weapons inspections and meetings the former prime minister had with President Bush in Washington, D.C., and in Crawford, Texas. He also talked about the evolution in the strategy regarding Iraq prior to 2002, and the diplomatic efforts that were made prior to invasion. Part 3 of 4

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TRANSCRIPT

TIME SPEAKER TEXT
00:00:19 Unidentified Speaker WELL, IF HISTORY BEARS OUT AT SUCH TIME AS ARM SALES WOULD BE ANNOUNCED OR THE CONSULTATION
00:00:27 Unidentified Speaker WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THIS RECORDED PROGRAM NOW AND TAKE YOU LIVE TO LONDON FOR THE BRITISH-IRAQ WAR...
00:00:53 Unidentified Speaker TODAY, THIS MORNING, AND NOW THIS AFTERNOON, THE SELECTED THROUGH A FREE PUBLIC BALLOT OVERSEEN BY AN...
00:01:56 Unidentified Speaker I WOULD LIKE TO PICK UP A COUPLE OF POINTS FOR FOLLOW-ON FROM WHERE YOU LEFT IT BEFORE LUNCH. JUST...
00:04:34 Unidentified Speaker SO YOU DIDN'T FEEL THERE WAS ANY POSSIBILITY THAT IF WE'D PURSUED INSPECTIONS FOR LONGER PERIOD TO...
00:04:53 Unidentified Speaker I REALLY -- MY JUDGMENT HAVING SPOKEN TO JACQUE CHIRAC, AND WE HAD PERFECTLY GOOD LINES OPEN THROUGHOUT...
00:05:34 Unidentified Speaker IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AT ANY
00:05:37 Unidentified Speaker UNLESS THERE'D BEEN SOMETHING DRAMATIC THAT THE INSPECTORS MIGHT HAVE UNCOVERED. THAT MIGHT HAVE MADE...
00:06:04 Unidentified Speaker AS WE HADN'T GOT NINE POSITIVE VOTES IN THE BAG, A FRENCH VOTE AGAINST WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A VETO....
00:06:28 Unidentified Speaker NO, THE ACTUAL SITUATION. BECAUSE I HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER LEADERS AT THE TIME. AND MOST...
00:07:10 Unidentified Speaker YOU HADN'T REACHED A POINT IN THE WEEK OR SO BEFORE THE RESOLUTION WAS WITHDRAWN WHERE YOU'D EFFECTIVELY...
00:07:33 Unidentified Speaker WELL, I THINK WITH MORE THAT, I THOUGHT THERE WAS -- IT WAS WORTH HAVING ONE LAST DITCH CHANCE TO...
00:08:46 Unidentified Speaker IF I CAN JUST MOVE ON TO MY OTHER POINT. WIDER POINT. AND IT'S A REALLY CRITICAL MOMENT, OBVIOUSLY...
00:10:09 Unidentified Speaker I THINK THE AMERICANS WOULD'VE DONE THAT. I THINK PRESIDENT BUSH ACTUALLY ONE POINT SHORTLY BEFORE...
00:11:00 Unidentified Speaker CLEARLY THE WAR SUPPORT, I SUPPOSE THIS WAS A LONG WAY SHORT OF WHAT YOU'D HOPED TO
00:11:06 Unidentified Speaker I WOULD HAVE HOPED TO HAVE HAD A UNITED NATIONS SITUATION IN WHICH EVERYONE WAS ON THE SAME PAGE...
00:11:15 Unidentified Speaker IN KOSOVO, ONE DIDN'T HAVE BECAUSE THE RUSSIANS THREATENED TO VETO, BUT YOU HAD MUCH STRONGER SUPPORT,...
00:11:28 Unidentified Speaker REALLY TOUGH SITUATION, YES. AND IN THE END, WHAT INFLUENCED ME WAS THAT MY JUDGMENT ULTIMATELY WAS...
00:12:11 Unidentified Speaker YOU SAID THIS MORNING YOU WEREN'T TERRIBLY CONFIDENT IT
00:12:15 Unidentified Speaker I DID HOPE IT WOULD WORK. I WASN'T CONFIDENT ABOUT SADDAM AND FOR PERSONALLY GOOD REASONS. HE'D BEEN...
00:12:36 Unidentified Speaker THE OTHER DAY REFERRED TO A PLAN B THAT HE'D FLOATED WITH YOU. I THINK I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT...
00:13:00 Unidentified Speaker WELL, THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY. AS I THINK WE DISCUSSED THIS MORNING. IN FACT, OUR OWN MILITARY IN A...
00:13:12 Unidentified Speaker WELL, THEY'RE OUT THERE READY TO GO AND TROOPS IN THAT SITUATION DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO
00:13:18 Unidentified Speaker THIS IS EVEN BACK IN OCTOBER. I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE RECORD BACK IN OCTOBER OF 2002, THE MILITARY...
00:13:26 Unidentified Speaker I'M NOW THINKING OF THE LAST
00:13:29 Unidentified Speaker I THOUGHT YOU WERE MEANING TO SUGGEST IT WAS BECAUSE THE TROOPS WERE DOWN THERE. I THINK TO BE FAIR...
00:13:56 Unidentified Speaker SOME ARGUED THE OPPOSITE. SOME OF OUR EARLIER WITNESSES WHO HAVE SAID THAT BY GOING IN WITH THE LARGE...
00:14:36 Unidentified Speaker I'M SORRY, I MEANT PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE. EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IN OTHER WORDS, WE WOULD HAVE...
00:16:01 Unidentified Speaker I'D LIKE TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT NOW, IF I MAY. IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE GOT NOTHING FURTHER THEY WANT...
00:17:35 Unidentified Speaker JUST TO INTERJECT AND THEN COMING TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS BASED ON THAT.
00:17:38 Unidentified Speaker IS THAT SATISFACTORY TO YOU? YEAH. AND SO I'LL GO THROUGH THE SUMMARY IF YOU'RE NOT CONTENT WITH ANY...
00:22:44 Unidentified Speaker
00:22:45 Unidentified Speaker IF YOU'RE CONTENT, THEN I'LL CONTINUE. AND I HAVE TO DO AS WELL WITH THE SECOND HALF. BECAUSE I'M...
00:28:16 Unidentified Speaker YES, I THINK THAT IS A FAIR SUMMARY OF THE LEGAL BACKGROUND. I WOULD SAY, HOWEVER, JUST ONE POINT,...
00:29:05 Unidentified Speaker I WENT THROUGH THAT IN CONSIDERABLE DETAIL AS YOU PROBABLY SAW WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO MAKE...
00:30:14 Unidentified Speaker WE GOT A PAPER ON THE 8th OF MARCH PAPER THAT SET OUT THE LEGAL POSITION. AND THAT SET IT OUT IN THE...
00:30:59 Unidentified Speaker SO YOU WANTED AT THAT EARLY STAGE TO KNOW THE LEGAL PARAMETERS. DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE THAT ADVICE...
00:31:06 Unidentified Speaker LEGAL ADVISERS? I DON'T.
00:31:10 Unidentified Speaker IF I PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, I THINK FROM OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, IT DIDN'T COME FROM...
00:31:23 Unidentified Speaker CAME FROM THE FOREIGN OFFICE,
00:31:25 Unidentified Speaker IT CAME FROM THE FOREIGN OFFICE. COULD YOU SAY WHY GIVEN -- THIS IS PRETTY SERIOUS TERRITORY YOU'RE...
00:31:41 Unidentified Speaker I MEAN, WE WERE IN MY VIEW A LONG WAY AT THAT POINT FROM TAKING A DECISION. AND HAVE WE COME CLOSE...
00:32:10 Unidentified Speaker IT WAS 100% IN LINE WITH BOTH OF THEM. FROM THAT POINT, BUILDING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL INTO THE PROCESS...
00:32:25 Unidentified Speaker NOT AT THAT STAGE. BECAUSE WE WERE -- AS I SAY AT A VERY PRELIMINARY POINT. BUT WHAT I TOOK FROM THE...
00:32:36 Unidentified Speaker I DO POINT OUT THAT BECAUSE THIS WAS AT A LATER STAGE, I BECAME CONCERNED AS A TO WHAT THE LEGAL...
00:32:46 Unidentified Speaker IF I CAN JUST STICK A LITTLE BIT -- A COUPLE OF MINUTES WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ROLE IN THIS...
00:34:02 Unidentified Speaker WELL, HE WAS VERY CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THIS. IN THE SENSE THAT HE, HIMSELF, AND ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE...
00:34:45 Unidentified Speaker YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO THE POINT POINT, RIGHT CLOSE TO THE POINT WITH HIM ONLY HAVING BEEN TO THE CABINET...
00:34:55 Unidentified Speaker THE ISSUE'S NOT HOW MANY TIMES HE COMES TO THE CABINET, THE ISSUE'S WHETHER HE'S GIVING HIS ADVICE...
00:35:35 Unidentified Speaker WELL, INDEED, HE TOLD US HE VOLUNTEERED AFTER YOUR MEETING OF THE 23rd OF JULY WHEN YOU WERE ABOUT...
00:36:01 Unidentified Speaker IT WAS NOT THAT IT WASN'T PARTICULARLY WELCOME. I WAS DEALING WITH WHAT ALREADY WAS A DIFFICULT SITUATION....
00:36:36 Unidentified Speaker WE GOT THE POINT, YOU DIDN'T NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY REMINDED
00:36:40 Unidentified Speaker NO, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, IT ACTUALLY WAS THEN VERY HELPFUL FOR HIM TO DO THIS. BECAUSE HE FOCUSSED...
00:36:52 Unidentified Speaker SO YOU JUST GOT THE WRONG VIBES FROM THE REACTION AT
00:36:56 Unidentified Speaker KNOW. BUT I KNOW PETER VERY WELL AND HE'S SOMEONE I HAVE A GREAT RESPECT FOR.
00:37:03 Unidentified Speaker HE MADE THIS REMARK, SO IT'S
00:37:06 Unidentified Speaker I THINK TO BE FRANK AND FAIR TO HIM, HE WAS DECIDING BEFORE I GO TO PRESIDENT BUSH, AND I THINK HE...
00:37:16 Unidentified Speaker
00:37:18 Unidentified Speaker HE WANTED TO MAKE IT
00:37:21 Unidentified Speaker
00:37:22 Unidentified Speaker THAT IT WASN'T REALLY -- I THINK HIS POINT WAS IT'S NOT REALLY GOING DOWN THE U.N. ROUTE, IT'S GETTING...
00:37:29 Unidentified Speaker LET'S TURN TO THAT RESOLUTION. JUST AFTER IT WAS ADOPTED, ADOPTED ON THE 8th OF NOVEMBER, RESOLUTION...
00:39:34 Unidentified Speaker NO, I THINK WHAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO DO WAS TO EXPLAIN TO US WHAT HIS CONCERNS WERE. AND LOOK,...
00:40:19 Unidentified Speaker BUT IF YOU'D KNOWN THAT HE WAS GOING TO SAY THAT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE KNOWN THAT AS...
00:40:36 Unidentified Speaker WELL, WE DID KNOW OUR OPTIONS. WHAT WE DIDN'T GET FORMAL IN THE SENSE LEGAL ADVICE AT THAT POINT,...
00:41:41 Unidentified Speaker THIS STAGE BEFORE THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY, HE'S NOT OFFERING YOU OPTIONS NOR LEGAL ADVICE. THEY ARE...
00:42:38 Unidentified Speaker WELL, WE DID KNOW BECAUSE PETER MADE IT CLEAR, THE BEST THING TO DO WAS TO GET A RESOLUTION. THE...
00:42:55 Unidentified Speaker IT WAS TWO THINGS TO BE FAIR TO HIM. AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS IS SEEN IN ITS PROPER...
00:43:22 Unidentified Speaker BUT THAT HAD TO BE DETERMINED
00:43:25 Unidentified Speaker AND THE ISSUE IS TO WHETHER -- BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WANTED ACTUALLY THE SECURITY COUNCIL HAD TO TAKE...
00:43:56 Unidentified Speaker THAT'S WHERE YOU ENDED UP IN MARCH. BUT UNTIL THE 12th OF FEBRUARY, YOU WERE NOT BEING TOLD BY THE...
00:44:25 Unidentified Speaker YES, THERE WAS A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN WHERE OUR POSITION WAS AT THIS STAGE AND THE AMERICAN POSITION....
00:44:36 Unidentified Speaker
00:44:38 Unidentified Speaker YES, BUT NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE AMERICANS. WHAT HAPPENED WAS, HE HAD A
00:44:43 Unidentified Speaker AFTER WHICH HE WROTE YOU
00:44:46 Unidentified Speaker BUT HE SAID IT HAD BEEN A VERY USEFUL DISCUSSION AND THAT HAD OBVIOUSLY MOVED HIM
00:44:51 Unidentified Speaker HE TOLD US THERE WERE THREE THINGS THAT MOVED HIM. THE NEGOTIATING HISTORY PROVIDED BY THE FOREIGN...
00:45:06 Unidentified Speaker AND IT'S FAIR TO SAY -- I
00:45:09 Unidentified Speaker
00:45:10 Unidentified Speaker IT WAS ALWAYS A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT BALANCE TO JUDGMENT. BUT THE IMPORTANT THING WAS IN THE END THAT...
00:45:39 Unidentified Speaker WELL, HE ASKED YOU TO SAY IT WAS SUFFICIENT. BUT THAT'S AT THE END OF THE GAME. CAN I JUST GO TO THE...
00:46:25 Unidentified Speaker I CAN'T RECALL ANY SPECIFIC DISCUSSIONS BEFORE THE 13th OF MARCH. BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENED WAS...
00:46:52 Unidentified Speaker AND A HUGE AMOUNT HUNG ON
00:46:54 Unidentified Speaker OF COURSE, IT DID. A LOT HUNG ON THAT DECISION. AND IT WAS THEREFORE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT IT WAS...
00:47:53 Unidentified Speaker SO IT'S QUITE HARD TO ARGUE WHAT?
00:48:00 Unidentified Speaker THE FURTHER RESOLUTION WAS CLEARLY POLITICALLY PREFERABLE FOR US IF YOU CAN GET EVERYBODY BACK ON...
00:48:28 Unidentified Speaker NOBODY MENTIONED THAT
00:48:32 Unidentified Speaker BECAUSE PEOPLE SOMETIMES SAY IT WAS ALL KIND OF CAST IN
00:48:35 Unidentified Speaker NUMBER TEN SAYS TO THE WHITE HOUSE IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, EVEN INTO MARTHA IT WAS ESSENTIAL FROM...
00:48:51 Unidentified Speaker
00:48:53 Unidentified Speaker NOT PREFERABLY, BUT ESSENTIAL. WERE WE SAYING IT WAS LEGALLY NECESSARY FOR US?
00:49:01 Unidentified Speaker WHAT WE SAID WAS THAT LEGALLY IT RESOLVES THAT QUESTION OBVIOUSLY BEYOND ANY DISPUTE. ON THE OTHER...
00:49:20 Unidentified Speaker WELL, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A CONSIDERABLE RELIEF TO YOU ON THE 13th OF MARCH WHEN HE TOLD YOU HE'D COME...
00:49:40 Unidentified Speaker AND THE REASON HE'D DONE THAT WAS REALLY VERY OBVIOUS. WHICH WAS THE REPORTS INDICATED QUITE CLEARLY...
00:49:52 Unidentified Speaker BUT HE'D DONE IN DISAGREEMENT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL LAWYER, ALL OF THEM AS WE UNDERSTAND,
00:49:59 Unidentified Speaker HE'S ALSO I THINK -- I SEEM TO REMEMBER BUT I MAY BE WRONG, BUT IF I AM FORGIVE ME, BUT I
00:50:07 Unidentified Speaker WE DISCUSSED THAT, AND IT DIDN'T APPEAR FROM OUR DISCUSSION THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHER PEOPLE OUTSIDE...
00:50:20 Unidentified Speaker OBVIOUSLY OTHER COUNTRIES WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS WELL AND HAVING TO DECIDE THIS AND IT WASN'T...
00:50:35 Unidentified Speaker CLEARLY NOT. IT HAD TO IMPACT BACK UPON HIM. WE HEARD ABOUT THAT THE REVIEW FOUND BUT WHETHER OUR COUNTRIES...
00:50:45 Unidentified Speaker I THINK ALL COUNTRIES WHO TOOK THE MILITARY ACTION BELIEVED THEY HAD A SOUND LEGAL BASIS FOR DOING...
00:51:23 Unidentified Speaker WE'RE NOT LAWYERS. WE'VE SIMPLY LISTENED TO THE VIEWS OF LAWYERS. LORD GOLDSMITH, AND THE OTHERS, ...
00:52:03 Unidentified Speaker ALL I'M -- SORRY. PLEASE, ALL I'M TRYING TO SAY, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GO BACK AND READ 1441, IT'S PRETTY...
00:52:13 Unidentified Speaker WELL, LET ME NOT PASS JUDGMENT ON THAT. I'M ASKING QUESTIONS, AND I DON'T HAVE AN OPINION TO STATE...
00:53:26 Unidentified Speaker I WOULD PUT IT IN THIS WAY, WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW FROM HIM WAS IN THE END, WAS HE GOING SAY THIS WAS...
00:54:12 Unidentified Speaker YOU WEREN'T WORRY BY HIM SAYING THAT HE WOULDN'T EXPECT
00:54:18 Unidentified Speaker HE SAID, NOT TO WIN, SIMPLY SAID THERE'S A CASE EITHER BAP AND THERE ALWAYS WAS A CASE EITHER WAY....
00:54:51 Unidentified Speaker WAS CASE EITHER WAY, BUN ONE DESCRIBED AS THE SAFEST LEGAL COURSE THAT WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND...
00:55:24 Unidentified Speaker I THINK THAT BRINGS US TO THE QUESTION OF PREPARATIONS AND PLANNING. THE DECISION HAVING BEEN TAKEN....
00:56:01 Unidentified Speaker YES. OF COURSE, PART OF THE PROCESS OF ASKING FOR THE PAPERS THAT DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT LEVEL OF...
00:56:23 Unidentified Speaker BUT A FUNDAMENTAL UNDERLYING ASSUMPTION OF THE STRATEGIC DEFENSE OF YOU, WHICH, OF COURSE, YOUR GOVERNMENT...
00:57:40 Unidentified Speaker ABSOLUTELY. WHAT WAS TO BE VERY CLEAR, YOU COULD NOTE DO IT UNLESS THE MILITARY WERE READY TO DO IT....
00:58:29 Unidentified Speaker BUT, I MEAN, WAS THAT ASSURANCE GIVEN TO YOU BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO GIVE YOU A FEW OF
00:58:37 Unidentified Speaker NO. THE ONE THING ABOUT THE MILITARY, IN MY EXPERIENCE, IS THEY TELL YOU BLUNTLY, QUITE RIGHTLY,...
00:59:27 Unidentified Speaker THEY DID BUT I THINK YOU WOULD APPRECIATE THAT THEY ONLY ACTUALLY HAD ABOUT THREE -- IT WAS IN JANUARY,...
00:59:38 Unidentified Speaker WELL I THOUGHT -- SORRY, BARONESS. I THOUGHT JEFF HAD COME TO ME THE END OF OCTOBER. THERE HAD BEEN...
00:59:45 Unidentified Speaker TRUE, BUT NO VISIBILITY AND THINGS LIKE THE PROVISION OF ESSENTIAL MEDICAL PLY, COMBATS, BOOTS, ...
01:00:22 Unidentified Speaker SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO ME, TA NOBODY SPELLED OUT TO YOU THE IMPLICATIONS OF NOT BEING PREPARED IN...
01:00:38 Unidentified Speaker THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY SPELLING OUT THE IMPLICATIONS, WHY JEFF CAME TO ME AND SAID WE'VE NOW GOT TO...
01:01:24 Unidentified Speaker BUT THE POINT IS, FORMAL APPROVAL DID NOT COME UNTIL JANUARY ANYWAY, AND, IN FACT, WE DO KNOW THAT...
01:01:33 Unidentified Speaker WELL IRS DIDN'T KNOW -- AS I SAY, THERE WERE ISSUES TO DO WITH LOGISTICS THAT THEY'RE FAR BETTER...
01:01:50 Unidentified Speaker CAN I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION, BECAUSE IF THE VIEW WAS THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS...
01:02:04 Unidentified Speaker WELL, WE CHANGED, AND WE DID HAVE THE VISIBLE PREPARATION,
01:02:07 Unidentified Speaker THAT CAME LATER. THAT'S MY POINCHT EXACTLY. BUT THERE WAS ALWAYS A CONCERN, IF YOU LIKE THE MIDDLE...
01:02:51 Unidentified Speaker I NOW WANT TO TURN TO THE GENERAL AFTERMATH PLANNING, BECAUSE ON THE 21st OF JANUARY, 2003, YOU WERE...
01:03:29 Unidentified Speaker
01:03:37 Unidentified Speaker WELL, FIRST OF ALL I THINK WE'VE GOT TO DIVIDE IT INTO TWO SECTIONS HERE, AND ACTUALLY, WE A TREMENDOUS...
01:04:48 Unidentified Speaker BUT WE ALSO HAVE EVIDENCE AND THESE LETTERS HAVE BEEN DECLASSIFY, THAT CLAIR SHORT WAS WRITING TO YOU...
01:05:02 Unidentified Speaker BUT IF YOU ANALYZE THOSE LETTERS FOCUSED ESPECIALLY ON
01:05:08 Unidentified Speaker THEY DO. SHE WAS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PREPAREDNESS AND TIMING WHEN 2 WAS DONE.
01:05:14 Unidentified Speaker EXACTLY SO. THAT'S WHY WE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DOUBLED OUR FOCUS AND WHEN WE WENT IN THERE...
01:06:01 Unidentified Speaker THAT RAISES ANOTHER ISSUE, THAT HOW ADEQUATE WAS THE PLANNING AND HAD YOU ENSURED THAT PLANNING COVERED...
01:06:28 Unidentified Speaker YES, BUT WHAT WE THOUGHT WE GOING TO ENCOUNTER IN IRAQ I THINK WE DID PLAN ADEQUATELY. WE ACTUALLY...
01:07:57 Unidentified Speaker WE'LL COME TO THAT, BUT I THINK YOU QUOTED LORD TURNBULL. I MEAN, THE DECISION, AS I SAID, TO SUBSTANTIAL...
01:08:40 Unidentified Speaker IT'S CORRECT THAT I THINK FROM EARLIER JANUARY ON WE KNEW WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE WERE...
01:09:08 Unidentified Speaker WERE YOU AWARE OF THAT WHEN
01:09:11 Unidentified Speaker I THINK FROM JANUARY ONWARDS IT WAS CLEAR THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE WERE GOING...
01:09:46 Unidentified Speaker BUT THAT -- I MEAN, THAT HAPPENED, I THINK, AFTER WE GOT THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
01:09:57 Unidentified Speaker YES, ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT
01:10:01 Unidentified Speaker BUT WHAT DID WE UNLIKE OTHER MEMBERS ACCEPT THE STATUS OF A
01:10:06 Unidentified Speaker BECAUSE WE WERE THE KEY PARTNER OF THE U.S. IN THIS. WE BELIEVED IN IT. WE BELIEVED IT WAS RIGHT TO...
01:10:17 Unidentified Speaker DID WE ACTUALLY WEIGH UP ALL THE LIABILITIES, THE RISKS AND
01:10:22 Unidentified Speaker ABSOLUTELY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MADE VERY CLEAR, I THINK I MADE THIS CLEAR ON A NUMBER OF...
01:11:05 Unidentified Speaker BUT WHY IS IT THAT SO MANY WITNESSES HAVE SAID TO US THAT
01:11:14 Unidentified Speaker WELL I THINK -- FIRST OF ALL, A LOT OF THE CRITICISMS ARE DIRECTED AT AMERICAN SYSTEM. NOW, ALL I WOULD...
01:11:56 Unidentified Speaker YOU SAY DIRECTED, CRITICISM, AT THE AMERICANS. WHAT HAD YOU AGREED WITH
01:12:02 Unidentified Speaker WHAT WE'D AGREED WAS THAT, THIS WAS THE WHOLE DISPUTE, REALLY, ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS. WE WERE...
01:12:12 Unidentified Speaker THEY WERE VERY RELUCTANT TO GIVE A ROLE AND THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK WHICH WE WANTED, TLABD WAS...
01:12:20 Unidentified Speaker YES, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, BARONESS, BUT IN THE END THE AMERICANS AGREED THEY SHOULD HAVE WHAT...
01:12:29 Unidentified Speaker BUT SAYING WAVED OFF BY BUSH
01:12:33 Unidentified Speaker IF YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT WHAT THEN HAPPENED WITH THE UNITED NATIONS AND IRAQ, I THINK RESOLUTION 1483...
01:12:45 Unidentified Speaker NO.
01:12:48 Unidentified Speaker RATHER THAN REFER TO IT LET ME MAKE THIS SIMPLE POINT. I SAW KOFI ANNAN I THINK ON THE, I THINK IT...
01:13:22 Unidentified Speaker IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE, NOT
01:13:23 Unidentified Speaker
01:13:25 Unidentified Speaker A COALITION-LED INVASION AND HE DID NOT WANT FULL RESPONSIBILITY OF RECONSTRUCTION
01:13:30 Unidentified Speaker CORRECT, BUT THAT IS WHY WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT AS IT WERE THE U.N. SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE LEAD...
01:14:13 Unidentified Speaker I UNDERSTAND, BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE POINT, BECAUSE MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT AS EARLY AS SEPTEMBER...
01:14:36 Unidentified Speaker WELL, THE AMERICANS WERE MAKING AN EFFORT ACTUALLY, BUT AS I SAY, IF YOU READ THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S...
01:14:51 Unidentified Speaker YOU PERSONALLY BECAME INVOLVED IN THE AFTERMATH AROUND ABOUT FEBRUARY 2003.
01:14:57 Unidentified Speaker NO. I WAS PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN BEFORE THEN. AS WE CAME TO THE POINT OF...
01:15:22 Unidentified Speaker THAT'S TRUE, BUT I THINK I GO BACK TO MIERER POINT. IT IS THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLANNING ON A WHOLE RANGE...
01:15:47 Unidentified Speaker WELL, I WOULD SAY WE MOST CERTAINLY DID PLAN FOR THE PROBLEMS IN RELATION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR A...
01:16:31 Unidentified Speaker BUT BEFORE THAT, I MEAN, THE DECISION WAS TAKEN, EXAMPLE, THE AURA WAS ACTUALLY PLACED BY CPA AND,...
01:16:44 Unidentified Speaker I THINK -- LOOK, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED WAS IT BECAME VERY CLEAR THAT HE WASN'T
01:16:50 Unidentified Speaker CAPABLE OF DOING THIS. I KNOW. MY POINT IN TERMS OF WORKING TOGETHER IF IT WERE A JOINT OWLING POWER,...
01:17:00 Unidentified Speaker I THINK WE BEING CONSULTED ON THE QUESTIONS EVERYONE THOUGHT WOULD ARISHGSZ BUT IT'S TRUE. TIM CROSS...
01:18:10 Unidentified Speaker BUT THE POINT, REALLY IS, OUR ASSUMPTION WAS THAT WE WOULD GET THE UNITED NATIONS TO -- IN THE LEAD...
01:18:26 Unidentified Speaker WE DID PLAN FOR THOSE EVENTUALITIES IN ANALYSIS OF WHAT THEY MIGHT BE AND WORKED THEM OUT. THE TROUBLE...
01:19:08 Unidentified Speaker COME TO THAT LATER, AND I
01:19:11 Unidentified Speaker WANT TO PASS ON NOW. ALL RIGHT.
01:19:13 Unidentified Speaker
01:19:14 Unidentified Speaker
01:19:16 Unidentified Speaker WANTED TO FINISH MY SAYING. THAT ALL OF THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. WE COULD HAVE HANDLED THE...
01:19:46 Unidentified Speaker THAT'S AN AREA WE'LL COVER
01:19:47 Unidentified Speaker
01:19:49 Unidentified Speaker I THINK WE'LL TAKE A BREAK IN A MOMENT. I JUST WANTED -- IN HEARING THIS SET OF EXCHANGES AND READING...
01:22:51 Unidentified Speaker THANK YOU. IT MAY TURN OUT TO BE AN EXPENSIVE LESSON BUT ONE VERY NECESSARY TO LEARN. LET'S HAVE A...

NOTE: The transcript for this program was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

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