By Simon Walters
Last updated at 10:18 AM on 01st March 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1158148/REVEALED-There-Cabinet-debate-run-war-says-Short-Government-refuses-release-minutes.html
The Government is refusing to release minutes of Cabinet
meetings before the Iraq War because they would reveal there was no
discussion on the issue.
Details surrounding two crucial meetings on the eve of the
conflict were laid bare for the first time yesterday when former
Cabinet Minister Clare Short, who was present at both, gave a full
account of what happened.
She told The Mail on Sunday the main reason for the
‘scandalous’ decision not to publish the minutes was not to
protect confidential discussions about the war, but to cover
up the fact there was no such discussion.
At the last Cabinet meeting, no debate on the legality of the
war was allowed and Tony Blair, then Prime Minister, said
brusquely: ‘That’s it.’
The official records would also put an end to claims by Gordon
Brown’s supporters that, in private, he had grave doubts about the
war, said Ms Short. In fact, he led the Cabinet campaign to accuse
France of sabotaging British and American attempts to win United
Nations support for the attack on Saddam Hussein.
‘It is extraordinary when you hear people like Jack Straw say
that the Cabinet minutes cannot be published because you have to
preserve Cabinet confidentiality and robust decision-making,’ said
Ms Short, who resigned as International Development Secretary after
the war.
‘The bitter irony is that what they are doing is concealing the
fact there was no robust decision-making. The minutes will reveal
there was no real Cabinet discussion about the Iraq War. That is
the real scandal.’
Ms Short spoke out after the Government blocked an order by the
Information Commissioner to reveal minutes of Cabinet meetings on
March 13 and March 17, 2003, two days before the war started on
March 19.
She said: ‘Gordon had been completely marginalised in the run-up
to the war. It wasn’t because he didn’t support it but because he
and Tony were not getting on. Then, John Prescott had a dinner and
knocked their heads together.’
The meeting on March 17 was called to discuss Attorney General
Lord Goldsmith’s advice on the legality of the war.
Ms Short said: ‘When we arrived, there was a piece of paper in
front of each of us, a few paragraphs written by the Attorney
General saying the war was legal, there were no problems etc.
‘Lord Goldsmith started reading it out but we said, “You don’t
have to, we can read it.” Then Tony said something like, “That’s
it.” And that was it.
‘I wanted to know if the Attorney General had any doubts about
the legality of the war.
‘They all said, “Clare, be quiet, stop.” No one else wanted to
talk about it. I was shouted down.’