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» Thursday, June 17, 2004

Fox Hunting

Asked about the comments on fox hunting made by the Leader of the House in the Commons today, the Prime Minister's Spokesman (PMS) said that she hadn't seen them. Asked when an announcement would be made, the PMS said that she wasn't aware of the timescale at this stage. If a date had been determined, no doubt the Leader of the House would have announced it.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Iraq/Al Qaida

Asked to which particular organisations she had been referring this morning when she had spoken about groups affiliated to Al Qaida operating in a permissive regime in Saddam's Iraq, the PMS said that she did not have the precise details to hand. As she had told journalists this morning, we had always acknowledged that Saddam had created a permissive environment for terrorism and that he had tolerated groups affiliated to Al Qaida operating in Iraq during his regime. The Prime Minister had always made it clear that Iraq under Saddam had been a rogue state which threatened the security of the region and the world. Asked to present the evidence we had to back up that claim, the PMS said that this was nothing new. This was something we had said before. Put to her that the report from the independent Commission in the US investigation the September 11 attacks did not seem to support that position, the PMS said she was not suggesting that there was a direct link between Saddam and Al Qaida. She was simply making the point that his permissive regime allowed groups affiliated to Al Qaida to operate in Iraq. She said later that groups such as Zarqawi and Ansar al Islam had operated in the region.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (5)

Europe

Asked for a reaction to reports that Chris Patten was being considered as a candidate for the job of European Commission President, the PMS said that as her colleague had been telling journalists all week, these were private discussions which would be had by EU Heads of Government around the table in Brussels. That position had not changed.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (3)

Sutton Report/Immigration

Asked how the Government would respond to the management failures in the Home Office as identified by the Sutton report today, the PMS said the report showed that there had been significant failings in terms of how the European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) applications had been handled. A great deal of work had already been done to improve the operation of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). The Home Secretary would be taking further action to ensure that such a situation could not happen again. The PMS added that Mr Blunkett would be holding interviews this morning in which he would comment directly on the report.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comment (1)

Iraq/Al Qaida

Asked the Prime Minister's view of the relationship between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaida, the PMS said we had always acknowledged that Saddam had created a permissive environment for terrorism and that people affiliated to Al Qaida had operated in Iraq during his regime. The Prime Minister had always made it clear that Iraq under Saddam had been a rogue state which threatened the security of the region and the world. Asked if those Al Qaida affiliates operating in Iraq had been doing so with the tacit knowledge or active endorsement of the regime, the PMS said she understood that the questions being raised today were the result of a report released in the US by an independent Commission investigating the September 11 attacks. Consequently, matters directly relating to these issues should be put to those concerned. Put to her repeatedly that the Government had never suggested the existence of a direct link between Saddam and Al Qaida, the PMS agreed. She was simply making the point that the Prime Minister had always regarded Saddam's Iraq as a rogue state and that we had known that affiliates to Al Qaida had been operating in what had been a permissive regime. Asked why she was suggesting that there was a link between Saddam and Al Qaida when there wasn't one, the PMS said that she was doing no such thing. She was merely setting out what the parameters had been.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (3)

Euro 2004

Asked if the Prime Minister had sent a message to the England team ahead of their match with Switzerland later today, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had sent a message to the team last weekend in which he had wished them luck in Euro 2004. Asked if the Prime Minister was intending to watch the game, the PMS pointed out that he would be attending the European Council in Brussels. However, he would no doubt receive regular updates as the match progressed.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comment (1)

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» Thursday, June 17, 2004

Fox Hunting

Iraq/Al Qaida

Europe

Sutton Report/Immigration

Iraq/Al Qaida

Euro 2004

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