15 erring recruitment offices penalized in 3 months    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    Mass food poisonings cast shadow over Indonesia's free school meals    Police fatally shoot man at Toronto's international airport    Saudia Group signs deal with Airbus for flyadeal's first wide-body aircraft    Saudi non-oil exports surge 14.3 percent to SR26.11bn in February    Ministry of Justice launches centralized court model to enhance judicial efficiency    Saudi Arabia elected chair of Asia region of World Meteorological Organization    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Super Max Verstappen scorches to pole with record lap in Jeddah    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Officials say Iraq not UK"s main worry before war
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 25 - 11 - 2009

Iran and Libya, not Saddam Hussein"s Iraqi regime, were Britain"s main security concerns before the invasion of Iraq, Foreign Office officials testified Wednesday at an inquiry probing Britain"s role in the war, according to AP.
William Ehrman, the Foreign Office"s director of international security from 2000 to 2002, said «in terms of nuclear and missiles, I think Iran, North Korea and Libya were probably of greater concern than Iraq
The inquiry, billed as the most sweeping look yet at the conflict, was in its second day of hearing public evidence. It is examining Britain"s involvement in Iraq, beginning with the run-up to the 2003 invasion and concluding in July 2009.
The Iraq war, which left 179 British soldiers dead, was deeply unpopular in Britain. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is to be called to testify before the inquiry, which is headed by retired civil servant John Chilcot.
The panel isn"t expected to report before the end of next year, and won"t establish criminal or civil liability.
Tim Dowse, the Foreign Office"s head of counter-proliferation between 2001 to 2003, agreed with Ehrman, telling the panel that Iraq «wasn"t top of the list.»
«In terms of my concerns on coming into the job in 2001, I would say we put Libya and Iran ahead of Iraq,» he said.
Dowse said while Saddam had supported Palestinian groups, his government"s contact with al-Qaida-linked groups was sporadic.
«There had been nothing that looked like a relationship between the Iraqis and al-Qaida,» he said. «In fact, after 9/11, we concluded that Iraq actually stepped further back. They did not want to be associated with al-Qaida. They weren"t natural allies.»
Ehrman also said they had found no evidence that Saddam had provided terrorist groups with material for chemical or biological weapons.
The United States and Britain, its main ally, launched the war to deny Saddam weapons of mass destruction, but it later turned out he did not have any.
A government dossier published in September 2002 said Iraq could deploy some chemical and biological arms within 45 minutes. But just days before troops began moving into Iraq, Ehrman said Britain received an intelligence report which said Saddam"s chemical weapons might be unusable.
«We did, at the very end, I think on the 10th of March, get a report that chemical weapons might have remained disassembled and Saddam hadn"t yet ordered their assembly,» Ehrman said. «And there was also a suggestion that Iraq might lack warheads capable of effective dispersal of agents.»


Clic here to read the story from its source.