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26 Mar 2003 : Column 297—continued
Mr. Hoon: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for paying proper tribute to his constituent and his family. I have indicated to the media the need for restraint and sensitivity in the way in which they approach people at this very difficult time.
Mr. Ian Taylor (Esher and Walton): I was one of those who did not think that we should be going to war at this moment, but I now believe that we should prosecute the campaign as effectively as possible. I hope that, in the end, we get to Saddam Hussein and remove his evil regime. Does the Secretary of State agree that the nation will have to brace itself for far more casualties than we had been led to expect? What is going on away from the
gaze of journalists? For example, what is going on in the western part of Iraq, where we had feared that missiles could be sent towards Israel?
Mr. Hoon: There will certainly be more casualties on both sides. That is a necessary consequence of taking military action and why the Government strove so hard to avoid military action. However, as the hon. Gentleman has suggested, once military action is under way, it is necessary to see it through to its conclusion. Coalition operations in the western part of Iraq are continuing. I do not intend to comment on them in great detail, but they are proving successful.
Mr. Ben Chapman (Wirral, South): I welcome the Secretary of State's statement that northern Iraq remains stable. Turkey has been a steadfast ally in NATO in the first Gulf war and in other circumstances. Those of us who believe that Turkey is of enormous geopolitical importance are greatly reassured by the statement from Turkey that no further incursion into northern Iraq is intended. Are the Government fully seized of the need to keep that predominantly Muslim but secular democracy fully engaged in dialogue in both the civil and the military context?
Mr. Hoon: I agree with my hon. Friend that Turkey is a close ally in NATO. We work closely with Turkey and we have been in regular contact throughout this crisis.
Mr. David Tredinnick (Bosworth): Will the Secretary of State tell the House about the status under international law of Iraqi soldiers who dress as civilians and are then caught? Do they have the same status as regular soldiers in uniform? Will he also tell the House whether he thinks it wise to talk of large groups of Iraqis as having no future in the new, post-Saddam Iraq? I am thinking in particular of elite soldiers, who may be soldiers first and followers of Saddam second. If they think that their only option is to die with a spear in the chest or a spear in the back, what reason is there for them to surrender?
Mr. Hoon: Coalition commanders have expressed considerable concern about the practice—which we have seen on more than one occasion—of Iraqi soldiers apparently surrendering but then attacking the forces to whom they appeared to be surrendering. That is clearly a serious breach of the Geneva convention and one that we will continue to highlight when appropriate.
I agree with the hon. Gentleman that we must distinguish those elements of Iraqi society that have a vested interest in the continuation of Saddam Hussein's appalling regime. Fortunately, they represent only a small proportion of that society when set against the regular forces and large elements of the republican guard—who are professional soldiers and who very often, in my judgment, only continue their military operations because many of Saddam Hussein's henchmen are embedded in their units and threatening the commanders with execution, or their families with torture, if they do not continue the battle.
Kali Mountford (Colne Valley): Given the 24-hour media coverage of the conflict and the rapid progress made so far, are not the British public's hopes of a quick
end to the war being raised unrealistically? Is not it important that the military are mindful of and sensitive to the needs of local civilians, as well as dealing with the infrastructure and the water and electricity that are so vital to humanitarian aid post-war? Is not it important that people realise that this is a serious war with a serious end and that it is not a video game?
Mr. Hoon: I agree with my hon. Friend that we need to explain to people, as I sought to do in my statement earlier, that those images are snapshots of particular parts of the campaign, in particular parts of Iraq, as seen by particular correspondents. What we also need to do, as I tried to do in the House today, is to put that in context. That context includes our being successful not only in military operations but also in winning the peace by providing appropriate humanitarian help and assistance to the Iraqi people.
Mr. Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): As is always the case in war, there are conflicting reports about what is going on. I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for what he said about Basra, but may I respectfully remind him that the UN recently said that about 100,000 children are at imminent risk of disease due to the lack of clean water? I realise that the right hon. Gentleman has said as much as he can at this stage, but I urge him to keep the House informed about the humanitarian situation with regard to Basra.
Mr. Hoon: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the way in which he made his remarks.
For many years, Basra has not had a reliable supply of clean, safe water. For many years, it has not had a reliable electricity supply. Our ambition is to provide both those things so that the people of Basra will be much better off than they have ever been—certainly than they were under the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney, North and Stoke Newington): Is the Secretary of State aware of the continuing concern about the Turkish incursions into northern Iraq? My colleagues in the adjoining constituencies of Haringey and Islington and I represent the largest Kurdish community in the UK, many of whom fled to this country from Turkish oppression. They will take some convincing that Turkish intentions in northern Iraq are benign.
Mr. Hoon: Many of those people also fled from the repression of Saddam Hussein's regime. It is important not to overlook that. As I indicated in my statement, we are working closely both with the authorities in the Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Iraq and with our Turkish ally to preserve stability in that otherwise difficult and sensitive part of the world.
Mr. John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood): In his statement, the Secretary of State emphasised the intensity of the air campaign, which is crucial to minimise allied casualties and to shorten as much as possible the length of the war. Can he assure the House that there are sufficient reserves on which he can draw if required, as ground crews are working around the
clock? As the battlefield moves on and the length of the supply line increases, the importance of close air support is greater.
Mr. Hoon: The hon. Gentleman has taken a close interest in the Royal Air Force for many years. He always comments with great knowledge and understanding of the RAF's arrangements. We are paying attention to the need for sufficient reserves and we shall go on doing so.
Mrs. Ann Cryer (Keighley): Is my right hon. Friend aware that the World Service is reporting that cluster bombs are being used in the area around Basra? I am sure that he is aware, as I am, of the long-term consequences for the civilian population of post-war Iraq of unexploded bomblets. Will he make it clear to his American counterpart, when they discuss Iraq, that we strongly disapprove of the use of anti-personnel land mines?
Mr. Hoon: I have made it clear when dealing with such questions on previous occasions that it is necessary to allow our forces to use the most effective and appropriate weapons against the threats that they perceive. My hon. Friend may or may not be aware that 17 tanks sought to attack British forces yesterday. Every one of those tanks was destroyed, fortunately without allied losses. I would not be confident in saying to our forces that they could not use a particular weapon that protected them against those kinds of attack—I should not be doing my job properly. As I have indicated to my hon. Friend and others on previous occasions, we look carefully at the use of weapons, and use particular weapons only when it is absolutely appropriate to do so.
Mr. Edward Leigh (Gainsborough): Does the Secretary of State recall that in July last year the Public Accounts Committee published a report on friendly fire. In that unanimous report, we reminded our readers that, as long ago as 1992,
- "our predecessors concluded that the Department should redouble its efforts to secure an agreed approach",
- "A decade later, the Department has only just approved a policy paper".
- "It is unsatisfactory that the Department has made such slow progress in developing combat identification."
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