Defence in the World

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 2:07 pm on 17 October 2002.

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Photo of Bernard Jenkin Bernard Jenkin Shadow Secretary of State for Defence 2:07, 17 October 2002

I shall turn to how we should help Indonesia later in my speech, and I promise the hon. Gentleman that I will address that point.

The next question is how the Bali bombing affects our attitude to Iraq. First, I entirely concur with the Prime Minister that there is, as he explained so eloquently to the House on Tuesday, a connection between terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. As he put it, both issues are threats and,

Xthe same type of fanaticism and extremism is driving both threats."

He continued,

Xif we allow unstable states—with oppressive and dictatorial regimes—to develop weapons of mass destruction and also allow the terrorist groups to operate, we can be confident that the two threats will . . . at some point come together."—[Hansard, 15 October 2002; Vol. 390, c. 186.]

There is therefore no question of our adjusting policy towards Iraq in light of what happened in Bali.

Furthermore, let us not be squeamish about considering the likelihood of terrorist connections with the Saddam Hussein regime. Shards of evidence are constantly emerging which all point in the same direction. Recently it was announced:

XMansour Thaer has been charged with conspiracy of involvement with criminal association and is under arrest in Germany. Thaer has been investigated . . . for his links with a terrorist cell, and for participation in criminal conspiracy to traffic in arms, explosives, chemical weapons, identity papers, receiving stolen goods and aiding illegal immigration."

Mansour Thaer is an Iraqi national, born in Iraq and probably operating under the control of the Iraqi Government.