Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party...

Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party over the prospect of British involvement in US military action against Iraq, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw emphasised that no decision had been taken on opening a second front in the War on Terror, as well as his wish to explore diplomatic solutions.
The briefing document prepared for the meeting underlined the threat Iraq poses to its own people, as well as its immediate neighbours.
"The Iraqi regime is a demonstrable threat to the stability of the region as a result of its continued development of weapons of mass destruction. It also has an appalling human rights record with the widespread use of torture and mass execution of political detainees," the ten-page document says.
In a final question-and-answer section, under the question "Are you preparing for military action against Iraq?" Mr Straw answered:
"Experience has shown that no options can be ruled out with Saddam's tyrannical regime ... military action is not ruled out."