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News from Neil Gerrard |
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News from Neil Gerrard |
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MP questions Minister on Iraq Neil Gerrard, Labour MP for Walthamstow, took issue with Defence Minister Geoff Hoon in the Commons last week on Iraq. Mr Hoon was giving details of further troop build ups in the Middle East, as moves towards war on Iraq intensified. Mr Gerrard questioned the attitude of the Government towards the United Nations. "Ministers have said that they will not be bound by the unreasonable use of the veto on a further UN Security Council resolution on Iraq" said Mr Gerrard. "Where in the United Nations Charter is there any provision for a member state to choose to ignore a veto?" "If the Government believes that this country and the US have the right to ignore a veto, why should any other country pay any attention in future to the use of the veto by this country or by the US on this or any other issue?" Mr Gerrard said that the answer he received, that we have not yet reached that stage, was totally unsatisfactory. "We cannot on the one hand claim to be following the United Nations route, while at the same time giving notice that if the UN does not come up with the answer we want we will ignore it. That is simply undermining the UN. By claiming that right we have already damaged the UN." "I remain completely opposed to war on Iraq. A UN resolution obtained by bullying other countries into voting for it or abstaining will not carry authority, and irrespective of any such resolution I am convinced that there is no justification for a pre-emptive strike on Iraq." February 2003
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