Examination of Witnesses (Questions 180-184)
RT HON
JACK STRAW
MP, MR TIM
DOWSE AND
MR PETER
RICKETTS CMG
MONDAY 28 OCTOBER 2002
180. I accept what you say and I think your
analysis in terms of logic is absolutely correct. What I am seeking
and I think other members of the Committee are seeking is some
reassurance that the Government under its foreign policy is launching
some form of diplomatic offensive to ensure that the very points
that you are putting to us reaches a much broader and more sensitive
audience, if I can put it this way, not in this country but in
the Middle East. Al Jazeera is there putting its point of view.
What are we doing to ensure that the logic of your argument reaches
the wider world?
(Mr Straw) We have done a great deal. We have an Islamic
Media Unit based in the Foreign Office. One of the areas of very,
very great expertise in the Foreign Office (one of many) is that
of its Arabists and people with intense understanding and knowledge
of the Islamic and Arab world. That unit has been very useful.
The kind of conversation which I had in the region three weeks
ago with President Mubarak, with King Abdullah of Jordan, with
the acting Prime Minister of Kuwait, the Emir ,and also in Teheran
with the Foreign Minister and the President, Kharrazi and Khatami
are all part of this diplomatic effort and I had a very good conversation—and
I am sure he will not mind me saying this part of it—with
President Khatami in Iran about his great concern to see a dialogue
of nations. He calls it a "dialogue of civilisations".
My only difference with him is that I call it a "dialogue
of civilisation", singular, because of the important inter-relationship
between Islamic traditions/civilisations and the West. We are
in error if we think that these are two very separate traditions
because they are much more intertwined than many people think.
For sure all that is important. At the summit between times discussing
le cheque Anglais or even bigger cheque Fran"ais
last Thursday and Friday, we had a very interesting discussion
amongst the foreign ministers about the UNDP report which was
written by some Arab experts about the relative under-development
of the Arab world. That is a really interesting report. So we
are looking at all of that to try and build up understanding and
change within the Islamic world. That said, Mr Chidgey, I am afraid
we are dealing with very mad and very bad people amongst the terrorists.
We came to that stage we had with the Fascists during the Second
World War—would that we got there earlier—and when
you get to that stage you are dealing with people infected with
hatred.
Chairman: I would like to bring in two colleagues,
Mr Olner and Sir John Stanley.
Mr Olner
181. Briefly, Foreign Secretary, talking to
you about Pakistan, given that there is a deep polarisation in
that country between secular, democratic parties and the Islamic
right wing, how stable do you think the Musharraf regime is and
what are the UK doing to stabilise Pakistan?
(Mr Straw) We have given a good deal of support to
the Musharraf Government, particularly over the last 18 months.
That has included being in the lead on the EU textile agreement
which has been of considerable assistance in developing the economy.
182. It did not work particularly well for him
in the last election.
(Mr Straw) Hang on a minute. In Pakistan we have also
given President Musharraf encouragement to stick to the roadmap
which was laid down by the Pakistani Supreme Court and its judgment
about whether the takeover of power by President Musharraf was
or was not legitimate, and we applaud him for the fact that he
has done so. There have been elections in Pakistan. I am told
they produced an unanticipated result. That is what happens when
you have elections. I do not think we should throw our hands up
in horror simply because there are parties which are called "Islamic"
which have been elected. There are parties in our own tradition
which are called `Christian Democrats" and "Christian"
where the relationship between our religion and political parties
is a closer one than many of us would wish to see. My own view
is that it is early days in terms of the formation of the government
there and there are a number of parties. We need to watch the
situation with care and to give support to democratic, secular
forces there. That is what we are doing.
Sir John Stanley
183. Foreign Secretary, do you share the confidence
of the US administration that if there is no new UN resolution
in relation to Iraq it will still be relatively easy to put together
a significant military coalition against Iraq? Do you consider
it is axiomatic that the British Government will be part of that
coalition?
(Mr Straw) What I would say on that, as I have said
all the way through this evidence, is that we would prefer there
to be a Security Council resolution or resolutions. We would also
infinitely prefer this to be resolved by peaceful means. I know
for certain that it can only be resolved by peaceful means if
we are prepared, and prepared to take military action, and we
do not therefore rule out the possibility of us being involved
in military action, within international law, even if there is
no new Security Council resolution. However, we would far prefer
there to be a Security Council resolution or resolutions.
184. You have not answered the first part of
my question. Do you share the confidence of the US administration
that if there is not a new UN resolution that it will still be
relatively easy to put together a significant military coalition?
(Mr Straw) If military action is justified,
then putting together a coalition would be relatively straightforward.
Chairman: Foreign Secretary, alas, time is up.
The debate will continue. May I thank you and your colleagues.
|
