Iraq Crisis: Case for war not made - Europe should support French proposals

12.00.00am GMT Wed 12th Feb 2003

In a statement on the Iraqi crisis today, Liberal Democrat Euro MP Andrew Duff said:

"President Bush and Prime Minister Blair have not made out a convincing case for war against Iraq. Saddam Hussein must be neutralised as a threat but military invasion is not necessarily - and certainly not yet - the only option. If the US and UK governments know something we don't about Saddam's capabilities and intentions they should tell us. Otherwise they will not be followed by democratic public opinion in their rush to war.

"The French are offering one option that should be attempted, which is to deploy a very much larger number of UN weapons inspectors and to impose a complete no-fly zone over Iraq. That proposal seems to have the support of most of Britain's European partners as well as Russia. Tony Blair now has to spell out why he opposes such an approach.

"Whether or not there is another UN resolution, the political consequences of dividing the European Union and NATO over Iraq are immensely serious. War will set back Europe's economic recovery, and the humanitarian costs are incalculable."

Mr Duff will be speaking in the European Parliament's debate on the Iraq crisis this evening in Strasbourg, and spoke on BBC Radio Suffolk this morning.