Guardian UK September 6, 2003:
Michael Meacher, who served as a minister for six years until three months ago, today goes further than any other mainstream British politician in blaming the Iraq war on a US desire for domination of the Gulf and the world.
Mr Meacher, a leftwinger who is close to the green lobby, also claims in an article in today's Guardian that the war on terrorism is a smokescreen and that the US knew in advance about the September 11 attack on New York but, for strategic reasons, chose not to act on the warnings.
He says the US goal is 'world hegemony, built around securing by force command over the oil supplies' and that this Pax Americana 'provides a much better explanation of what actually happened before, during and after 9/11 than the global war on terrorism thesis'.
Mr Meacher adds that the US has made 'no serious attempt' to catch the al-Qaida leader, Osama bin Laden.
He also criticises the British government, claiming it is motivated, as is the US, by a desire for oil.