T H E M U S L I M C O U N C I L O F B R I T A I N
3 February 2004
Press Release
WMD Inquiry: We Need The Whole Truth
The Muslim Council of Britain believes that any inquiry into Iraq's
hitherto elusive Weapons of Mass Destruction must not be limited to
the quality of intelligence received but must also investigate the
reasons why our government took us to war against Iraq.
"In light of what we have learned over the past few months, many in
Britain are now convinced that the Blair government had already made
the fateful decision to go to war against Iraq alongside the United
States. This was regardless of the outcome of deliberations at the
United Nations or the findings uncovered by the UN Weapons Inspection
Team. A specific objective of the inquiry must be to establish when
the decision was made to launch the pre-emptive war. Was this prior
to the availability of specific intelligence? If the answer is yes,
then the intelligence services are not alone responsible and others
need also to be brought to book," said Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary-
General of the Muslim Council of Britain.
As long ago as last May, Paul Wolfowitz, the US Deputy Defence
Secretary had admitted in an interview with Vanity Fair, that it was
for 'bureaucratic reasons' alone that the issue of WMD had been
chosen to focus on in the run up to war against Iraq. On March 17th
2003, in his resignation speech on the eve of war against Iraq, the
former Leader of the House of Commons, Robin Cook, highlighted his
belief that "Iraq probably has no weapons of mass destruction in the
commonly understood sense of the term."
"In order for our country to move forward past this unsavoury chapter
in our foreign policy, it is important that we now be told the truth,
the whole truth," added Iqbal Sacranie.
[Ends]
Note for Editors:
1.. The Muslim Council of Britain (www.mcb.org.uk) is the UK's
representative Muslim umbrella body with over 400 affiliated
national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and
schools.
For further information please contact: The Muslim Council of
Britain, Boardman House, 64 Broadway, Stratford, London E15 1NT,
Tel: 07956 353 738 or 0208 432 0585/6, Fax: 0208 432 0587
Email: media@... Website: http://www.mcb.org.uk
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