Annan’s comments ‘vindicate’ Iraq war opposition
Those who opposed the war against Iraq have claimed that the Secretary General of the UN’s comments last night have vindicated their position.
Kofi Annan told the BBC’s World Service on Wednesday night that there should have been a second UN resolution before the coalition took action against Iraq.
When pressed specifically on whether the war was illegal, he said: “Yes, if you wish. I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN charter from our point of view, from the charter point of view, it was illegal.”
Mr Annan also warned that the security situation must dramatically improve if there are to be credible elections held in January.
The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, ruled that the war against Iraq was legal, citing Iraq’s persistent breach of previous UN resolutions. However, his legal advice has never been published in full despite the demands of anti-war activists and some MPs.
The Government though insists that the Attorney General’s advice is never published under normal circumstances and fully justifies its decision to go to war.
Speaking this morning, Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrats foreign affairs spokesman said that Mr Annan’s comments “undermine the Government’s credibility over Iraq.
“No matter how much the Government tries to move on, Iraq is a millstone around its neck.”
A similar line was taken Dr Spencer Fitz-Gibbon of the Green Party’s national executive. He said: “The Green Party consistently said, amongst a variety of reasons for opposing the war, it would contradict the UN Charter and would be illegal.
“The Green Party said all along that the war would be criminal. Lawyers at Cherie Blair’s firm, Matrix Chambers, said so too, and delivered their
legal opinion to the public on the same platform as CND and the Green Party. Now the UN Secretary-General himself has said so.”
The Foreign Office said last night: “The Attorney General made the Government’s position on the legal basis about the use of military force clear at the time.”
