GULF WAR: Blair justifies during Kuwait trip

GULF WAR: Blair justifies during Kuwait trip; ITN ENGLAND London GIR INT Robin Cook MP (Labour Cabinet Minister 1997-2003) interviewed SOT - Case for war was made by Bush, Tony & Rumsfeld that we had to invade Iraq because they had weapons of mass destruction - Bush used phrase 'pre-emptive strike' / It's difficult to sustain that case if we now find out he did not have weapons of mass destruction, Rumsfeld's come close to saying they can't find them, they don't exist - It may be they were misled in good faith, people who said those things believed them, but I did doubt them at the time, I said in resignation speech that it was likely Saddam did not have WMD in terms we understand them - these are not difficult to spot - This has to be resolved - case for war has gaping hole blown through it - Pledges continuing support for Blair, he will be judged by what he has done for Britain, overwhelmingly positive - War on terror has been undermined by war in Iraq - we've seen some terrible atrocities / Britain has had dialogue with Iran for years, it has democracy, our strategy has been to support reformers - my worry is rhetoric from Washington will play into hands of old guard, strong arm ----------------------------------- Clean feed tape = D0515973 or D0515974 00.05.18 TO 00.09.41 FX Programme as broadcast tape = D0515972 Order Ref: T28050303