40 posłów chce, by MTS zbadał legalność wojny irackiej
26.07.
Londyn (PAP/Reuters) - 40 posłów do parlamentu brytyjskiego zwróciło się do
sekretarza generalnego ONZ Kofiego Annana z wnioskiem, by wystąpił do
Międzynarodowego Trybunału Sprawiedliwości w Hadze o zbadanie legalności wojny
irackiej - poinformował w poniedziałek londyński dziennik "Daily Mirror".
Dziennik podał, że parlamentarzyści pochodzący z różnych partii sformułowali swój wniosek w liście skierowanym do Annana i noszącym datę 20 lipca. Grupę łączy wspólny pogląd, że premier W.Brytanii Tony Blair działał niezgodnie z Kartą Narodów Zjednoczonych, gdy przyłączył się do inwazji USA na Irak. Wniosek dotyczy sformułowania "opinii doradczej" przez Trybunał Haski.
"Wiele osób wyraża zaniepokojenie w związku z kwestią uzasadnienia prawnego wojny i dlatego - jak się wydaje - potrzebujemy wyjaśnienia tej sprawy" - powiedział koordynujący działalność grupy Alan Simpson, reprezentujący w parlamencie rządzącą w Wielkiej Brytanii Partię Pracy premiera Tony Blaira.
Sun Jul 25, 2004 10:29 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5766556
It said that the cross-party group, which had written a letter to Annan dated July 20, believes Prime Minister Tony Blair's government breached the U.N.'s charter when it joined the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The letter asked for an "advisory opinion" from the court in the Hague.
"Lots of people have concerns about the legitimacy of the war and it seems we do need to have clarification on this," said Alan Simpson, an MP from Blair's own ruling Labour party, who is leading the group.
The British public has long been suspicious of the motives behind the invasion of Iraq and a report earlier this month by former civil servant Lord Butler has given Blair's critics fresh ammunition to question his credibility.
Butler cleared Blair of distorting spies' assessments on Iraq but exposed faulty intelligence. He criticized Blair's informal style of government and its closeness to secret agents.
The parliamentarians' letter to Annan said: "It is clear that, in Britain and the United States, war was justified on the basis of intelligence reports of current and serious threats from weapons of mass destruction, purportedly held by Iraq, all of which turned out to be without foundation."
"We look to the court for an advisory opinion on this war, not only to
address the casualties and damage done to the people and country of Iraq, but
also to offer clear guidelines for the future about the legality of pre-emptive
wars."
© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
MPs: PUT
BRITAIN IN THE DOCK OVER IRAQ Jul 26 2004
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=14461476&method=full&siteid=50143
MPs in call to put Britain in dock over Iraq
By Rosa Prince Political Correspondent
FORTY MPs have called on UN chief Kofi Annan to haul Britain through the International Court of Justice over the Iraq war.
The cross-party group believes Tony Blair was in breach of the Charter of the United Nations when he joined America to invade Iraq.
They sent a letter to Mr Annan to seek clarification through the court as to whether it was legal for war to be declared when it had not been approved by the UN Security Council.
The MPs wrote: "It is clear that, in Britain and the United States, war was justified on the basis of intelligence reports of current and serious threats from weapons of mass destruction, purportedly held by Iraq, all of which turned out to be without foundation.
"We look to the court for an advisory opinion on this war, not only to address the casualties and damage done to the people and country of Iraq, but also to offer clear guidelines for the future about the legality of pre- emptive wars." The MPs, led by Labour's Alan Simpson, have also written to 18 heads of state who opposed the war, as they can also refer cases to the court.
Mr Simpson said: "Lots of people have concerns about the legitimacy of the war and it seems we do need to have clarification of this." He added that if a case was brought, he would expect to see the Attorney General's legal advice on the war published in full for the first time.
Meanwhile it emerged that the only person to lose their job in the wake of the Butler inquiry into intelligence failures ahead of the Iraq war was an official who criticised Mr Blair.
John Morrison's contract as chief investigator to the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee is being terminated in October.
He told the BBC how he could "almost hear the collective raspberry going up around Whitehall" as the PM claimed the threat from Saddam's WMD was "current and serious". He added: "The Prime Minister was going way beyond anything any professional analyst would have agreed."
Mr Blair yesterday jetted off for a three-week break at Cliff Richard's mansion in Barbados, after telling Labour chiefs to "draw a line" under Iraq and focus on domestic issues for the next election.
-PRO-EUROPE Tory Michael Heseltine yesterday vowed to boycott Tony Blair's campaign for the European referendum because of the Iraq war.