"An Illegal and Misconceived War": Diane Comments on Iraq Inquiry
Diane Abbott today launched a blistering attack on Tony Blair’s war-mongering prior to the military action in Iraq in 2003.
Writing in a candid article for the Guardian Comment is Free, Diane argues that Blair was caught up in the “dizzying” presence of President George Bush and was determined to go along with whatever action the United States proposed.
She was writing following the most recent revelations from the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war from former British ambassador to Washington Sir Christopher Meyer. Meyer has said that the United States had already made up their minds to go to war, had a timetable for the invasion and were simply attempting to “short-circuit the inspection process by finding the notorious smoking gun”.
Diane commented:
“Blair's support for Bush has made him fabulously popular in America, particularly corporate America, and he is now making millions out of that popularity. It would be unfair to ascribe his support for the war to an anticipation of this lucrative outcome. But what does seem true is that, for Blair, standing on a podium shoulder to shoulder with the swaggering George Bush was dizzying stuff. So dizzying that everything else was subordinated.
The legality of the war does not appear to have detained Blair. The unfortunate Lord Goldsmith was pressured to give the legal stamp of approval to a war about which the world knows he had deep misgivings. Trading support for the war in return for real progress in the Middle East was also not Blair's concern, as Meyer has made plain. (This makes Blair's current role as Middle East envoy even more absurd.)
The disastrous humanitarian results for the people of Iraq were also something that did not apparently concern Blair overmuch. In the end, it was all about Blair.
I knew at the time that it was an illegal and misconceived war and was proud to vote against it. Everything that is coming out of the Chilcot inquiry confirms that view.”
Ends
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