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BBC
Friday, April 16, 1999 Published at 17:15 GMT 18:15 UK
Iraq attack bill fails
Some MPs are totally opposed to raids on Iraq
A backbench bill making Parliament's consent
necessary before fresh air strikes can take place
against Iraq is has failed to become law.
The bill, put forward by Labour MP Tam Dalyell,
aimed to prevent new air strikes against Iraq unless
two thirds of MPs backed military action.
The bill failed as it did not receive the Royal Assent.
Speaking before the his bill's rejection, Mr Dalyell
said: "I am not going crawling to the Queen. This
has nothing to do with her."
But Commons authorities say the bill needed the
assent of the Queen as the deployment of the UK's
armed forces is a prerogative power, and this bill
would impose a significant limitation on the exercise
of that power.
The Military Action Against Iraq Parliamentary
Approval Bill was a response to the UK's
participation in Operation Desert Fox last year.
Parliament was only able to debate the UK's role in
this military action on 17 December, after air strikes
had already begun. Mr Dalyell told BBC News
Online his bill was "a very simple proposal.
"If we embark on a war situation, Parliament ought
to be consulted before the event.
Had it happened in relation to Iraq I don't think we
would have got into this situation of bombing oil
pumping stations and simply strengthening the
hand of the Saddam Hussein - and on Kosovo we
would not have started bombing."
The MP for Linlithgow added: "A number of us
would have the warned of the dangers and stopped
us sleepwalking into this impossible situation.
"Two years ago thousands of people demonstrated
in Belgrade against President Milosevic and now the
same people are manning the barricades for him."
Mr Dalyell is one of the Labour MPs, including
former Cabinet minister Tony Benn, who have
joined the recent protests against the Nato air
attacks on Serbia.
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