Bill Wilson MSP

Dr Bill Wilson, an SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, today announced that he had written to the Lord Advocate, the Rt Hon Elish Angiolini QC, asking her to investigate the conclusions of a Dutch commission of inquiry into the invasion of Iraq with a view to the potential prosecution of Tony Blair for waging a war of aggression.  His letter cited Lord Advocate’s Reference No.1 of 2000 (30th March 2001) to make the point that “a rule of customary international law is a rule of Scots law”.

Dr Wilson said, “I have also lodged a motion making the same point and highlighting the carnage associated with the Iraqi misadventure.  Data gathered by Opinion Research Business in 2007 suggested a million or so Iraqi civilians had died as a result of it.

“Now the independent Dutch committee, investigating the issue at the request of Dutch ministers, has said that UN Security Council Resolution 1441 ‘cannot reasonably be interpreted as authorising individual member states to use military force to compel Iraq to comply with the Security Council's resolutions, without authorization from the Security Council’.  This is another way of saying that the invasion was illegal.

“Those responsible for misleading the public and initiating such bloodshed should be brought to book.  I look forward to seeing the detention and trial of Tony Blair, and I urge the Lord Advocate to look into the matter.”

Notes to Editors

1.  Text of motion

Date of Lodging: 13 January 2010

Short Title: The Illegality of the Invasion of Iraq and the Detention of Anthony Charles Lynton Blair

S3M-05525 Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): That the Parliament

welcomes the finding of an independent Dutch commission that UN Security Council Resolution 1441 “cannot reasonably be interpreted as authorising individual member states to use military force to compel Iraq to comply with the Security Council’s resolutions, without authorization from the Security Council”; notes that data gathered by Opinion Research Business indicated that, in September 2007, approximately one million Iraqi citizens had died as a result of the invasion of that country; further notes that, according to media reports, Hans Blix considers that the invasion was illegal and believes that the former UK Prime Minister and former US President misled the public; acknowledges that, according to the High Court of Justiciary in Lord Advocate’s Reference No.1 of 2000, “a rule of customary international law is a rule of Scots law” and considers that, this being the case, the appropriate Scottish law enforcement agencies have the power to investigate the conclusions of the Dutch commission and the role of the former UK Prime Minister, Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, in waging a war of aggression, and looks forward to his detention and indictment.

2.  Dr Wilson's letter to the Lord Advocate

3.  Background information

Findings of Dutch commission

Opinion Research Business report on Iraqi civilian deaths