Cook calls for UN help in Iraq

Rebuilding requires huge investment

Coalition forces will have a difficult job convincing the Iraqi people of their intentions without the intervention of the United Nations, according to former House of Commons leader Robin Cook.

He criticised the US for appearing "so badly prepared" in re-establishing law and order and much needed utilities in Iraq post conflict.

He said the coalition will "pay a big price" in the eyes of the Iraqi people for that failure.

It was "remarkable" that no weapons of mass destruction (WMD) had yet been uncovered in Iraq, despite the war being sold on the basis of their existence, said Mr Cook, who resigned his cabinet position in protest against the war.

Unless we get the UN in, we are going to have much more difficulty convincing the Iraqi people we are running the country for them and not for ourselves

Robin Cook

Last week Foreign Secretary Jack Straw insisted the UN would have a "key role" under America's plan for Iraq's reconstruction.

But Mr Cook told the Sunday with Adam Boulton programme on Sky News that he was disappointed by the new draft resolution setting out proposals to run Iraq, because it did not provide the UN with "that vital central role that we were promised".

'Army of occupation'

"Unless we get the UN in, we are going to have much more difficulty convincing the Iraqi people we are running the country for them and not for ourselves," said Mr Cook, who is calling for sanctions on Iraq to be lifted.

The one time foreign secretary said it was in Britain's "own interests" to ensure the UN's involvement in post war Iraq.

"We should not be allowing ourselves to become trapped as an army of occupation," he said.

'Remarkable' no weapons have been found in Iraq

"We should make it clear that it is the international community that is doing this and certainly should let [chief UN weapons inspector] Hans Blix and UN inspectors back to verify what is found."

Mr Cook said while he is glad the conflict is over, he is "perplexed by the fact the US appear so badly prepared for what happened after the war and that we have taken so long to get back to running the utilities and re-establishing law and order in Baghdad".

"We will pay a big price for that in the opinion of the Iraqi people," he said.

Nuclear reactor

He argued that "it is quite remarkable that several weeks after the war is over, they have still not found any weapons with which Saddam could hit us".

But he stressed: "I would not be surprised if at some stage they find chemical battle field shells, if they do find some laboratory.

"Saddam certainly had these things 10 years ago - we know because we helped supply them."

Mr Cook said if there was a credible threat of a WMD that could fire over long range and take out a city "surely we would have found that by now?"

"You cannot hide a nuclear reactor - you can't hide a large missile system. Those are big industrial complexes," he added.