Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=7/9/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BRITAIN / IRAQ (L O)

NUMBER=2-305246

BYLINE=TOM RIVERS

DATELINE=LONDON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Questions surrounding Britain's entry into the war in Iraq continue to plague the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair. As Tom Rivers reports from London, Mr. Blair faced many tough queries on Iraq during his weekly Question Time in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

TEXT: Mr. Blair was asked if he would now like to apologize to parliament for not having disclosed that at the time of the release of a key report on Iraq's weapons, the middle section of that report was gleaned from a graduate student's thesis found on the Internet.

/// BLAIR ACT ///

Mr. Speaker, the Foreign Secretary has already apologized on behalf of the whole government for the mistake that was made.

/// END ACT ///

But the prime minister was not in any mood to give ground to his critics.

/// 2nd BLAIR ACT ///

One part of the briefing paper, one part of it should have been sourced to a written record of a review that was published some time before. That part of it that was expressed to be based on intelligence was indeed based on intelligence. So, I am afraid that I do not accept that parliament was misled in any way at all. (jeering out.)

/// END ACT ///

The subject of weapons of mass destruction also came up. Though none have been found so far in Iraq, Mr. Blair made clear he firmly believes Saddam had them.

/// 3rd BLAIR ACT ///

I have no doubt at all that the intelligence that we received was accurate. I think the view from some people that this whole issue of Saddam and weapons of mass destruction is some invention of the C-I-A or British intelligence is absurd. The fact of the matter is we know that when the inspectors left at the end of 1998, there was a huge amount of weaponry unaccounted for.

/// END ACT ///

Although the prime minister has been expressing this same general view over the past few weeks, the mood in the country is growing more critical. Polls show more and more Britons are saying military action against Iraq was wrong. (SIGNED)

NEB/TR/KL/MEM/FC