] Last October, when I spoke at the Labour conference in
] Blackpool, I supported the efforts of President Bush and
] Prime Minister Blair to renew efforts to eliminate Saddam
] Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, and to try to
] accomplish this through the UN.
]
] In November, the UN security council adopted unanimously
] resolution 1441, giving Saddam a "final opportunity" to
] disarm, after 12 years of defying UN resolutions
] requiring him to do so. The resolution made it clear that
] continued sanctions were not sufficient and that
] continued defiance would lead to serious consequences.
]
] The credit for 1441 belongs in large measure to Blair,
] who saw it as a chance to disarm Saddam in a way that
] strengthened the UN and preserved the Atlantic alliance.
] Unfortunately, the consensus behind 1441 has unravelled.
] Saddam has destroyed some missiles but beyond that he has
] done only what he thinks is necessary to keep the UN
] divided on the use of force. The really important issues
] relating to chemical and biological weapons remain
] unresolved.

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