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I'd do it again - Blair on Iraq | ||
2010-01-30 | ||
The former prime minister was barracked by a member of the public as he made his closing statement at the end of a six-hour grilling at the Iraq inquiry. He said Iraqis were now better off and he would take the same decisions again.
Committee chairman Sir John Chilcot asked Mr Blair at the end of the session if he had any regrets about the war, but Mr Blair said that although he was "sorry" it had been "divisive" he believed it had been right to remove Saddam. "It was better to deal with this threat, to remove him from office and I do genuinely believe the world is a safer place as a result." He told the inquiry if Saddam had not been removed "today we would have a situation where Iraq was competing with Iran" both in terms of nuclear capability and "in respect of support of terrorist groups". "The decision I took - and frankly would take again - was if there was any possibility that he could develop weapons of mass destruction we should stop him." Sometimes it is important not to ask the "March 2003 question" but the "2010 question", said Mr Blair, arguing that if Saddam had been left in power the UK and its allies would have "lost our nerve" to act. He also stressed the importance of taking a "tough line" with Iran, accusing the country of colluding with al-Qeada to destabilise Iraq in the aftermath of the invasion, rejecting claims the UK had taken a "cavalier" attitude to post-war planning. | ||
Posted by:Steve White |
#3 The left, both here and in Europe, have their meme on Iraq solidified...that is was an illegal war, etc. They are fools of course, and have the benefit of almost 10 years of relative safety from which to cast their aspersions. Iraq was the central battlefield, the one of OUR choosing. It was in the middle of the region, easy to supply, close to strategic enemies with a history and traditions that made it possible to forge a brighter future. We've killed tens of thousands of hard core jihadis there and so have left the world a better place. Oh, and we've left a country with a nascent but strengthening democracy, a growing security capability and an emerging economy that could become the powerhouse of the region (alongside Israel of course). |
Posted by: remoteman 2010-01-30 17:56 |
#2 SNP Westminster Leader Angus Robertson said: "No matter how skilfully he ducked and dived today, Tony Blair's legacy will forever be that of the illegal, immoral Iraq war. Chillingly, the ex-prime minister showed no regret for his dubious decisions which led us into the worst foreign policy disaster in modern times." Dear Angus Robertson, the next time a person like "Chemical Ali" is caught in Iraq, I suggest he not be hanged, but rather delivered to your doorstep, so that he may live out the rest of his life with you. |
Posted by: Phaising tse Tung8928 2010-01-30 11:00 |
#1 See also ISLAMONLINE.NET > BLAIR: IRAQ "ROGUE STATE" THREAT NOW EXISTS IN IRAN. HMMMM, HMMMMM, wehell, former POTUS Dubya invaded Iraq agz Saddam Hussein > MSM-NET "JURY" IS STILL OUT IFF POTUS BAMMER WILL DO SAME AGZ NUKE-IZING IRAN ANDOR NORTH KOREA??? |
Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-01-30 00:05 |