Speaking after the meeting between Tony Blair and President Bush at Camp David this weekend, Scottish National Party Westminster leader Mr Alex Salmond MP said today [Sunday] that there should be a recall of Westminster this week, and a specific United Nations mandate for any military action against Iraq. Mr Salmond said:

"Just as there was a statement by Tony Blair to Parliament after his
discussions with President Bush in April, so Westminster should be recalled for a statement and full debate on the Iraq crisis this coming week.

"In the United States, at least President Bush has promised Congress a
debate before any military action in Iraq. In the UK, Blair is drifting into war without any democratic scrutiny, and even his own Cabinet has been kept in the dark.

"Westminster has been recalled 22 times since World War II - sometimes when there was no direct UK involvement, such as the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. With Blair now talking in terms of a possible 'blood price' for the UK in Iraq, an immediate Westminster recall in this situation is a democratic necessity.

"And at international level, there can be no moral or legal justification for military action against Iraq without a fresh UN mandate, based on a specific Security Council Resolution.

"In a recalled Westminster debate, SNP/Plaid Cymru insistence on proper UN authority would be shared by MPs across the parties, and particularly on the Labour benches."