zimv20
Oct 5, 2003, 02:31 AM
BBC story (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3164948.stm)
The prime minister knew Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction ready for use within 45 minutes, former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has claimed.
He said that before the war started Mr Blair privately admitted that Saddam Hussein had no weapons posing a "real and present danger".
Mr Cook - who resigned as Leader of the Commons in protest at the conflict - makes his claims in a book based on his diaries, being serialised in the Sunday Times
Downing Street has dismissed the allegations as "absurd".
Cabinet 'mutiny'
Mr Cook said it became clear that the prime minister did not consider Iraq's weapons an imminent threat when they spoke two weeks before war started.
He added that Mr Blair had appeared prepared to go to war regardless of any progress made by UN weapons inspectors.
(more)
The prime minister knew Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction ready for use within 45 minutes, former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has claimed.
He said that before the war started Mr Blair privately admitted that Saddam Hussein had no weapons posing a "real and present danger".
Mr Cook - who resigned as Leader of the Commons in protest at the conflict - makes his claims in a book based on his diaries, being serialised in the Sunday Times
Downing Street has dismissed the allegations as "absurd".
Cabinet 'mutiny'
Mr Cook said it became clear that the prime minister did not consider Iraq's weapons an imminent threat when they spoke two weeks before war started.
He added that Mr Blair had appeared prepared to go to war regardless of any progress made by UN weapons inspectors.
(more)
