What Blair said about Iraq's banned weapons

BLAIR FOREWORD TO GOVERNMENT'S SEPTEMBER 2002 IRAQ DOSSIER:

"I wanted to share with the British public why I believe this issue to be a current and serious threat to the UK national interest."

"Saddam Hussein is continuing to develop WMD, and with them the ability to inflict real damage upon the region and the stability of the world."

"What I believe the intelligence has established beyond doubt is that Saddam has continued to produce chemical and biological weapons, that he continues in his efforts to develop nuclear weapons and that he has been able to extend the range of his ballistic missile programme."

"I am in no doubt that the threat is serious and current, that he has made progress on WMD, and that he has to be stopped."

"The document discloses that his military planning allows for some of the WMD to be ready within 45 minutes of an order to use them."

BLAIR'S SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT, MARCH 18, 2003, WHEN HE SECURED BACKING FOR THE WAR:

"We are asked now seriously to accept that in the last few years -- contrary to all history, contrary to all intelligence -- Saddam decided unilaterally to destroy those weapons. I say that such a claim is palpably absurd."