Tony Blair has finally tendered a qualified apology over Iraq war – qualified because rather than apologising for the war itself, he apologized for the use of misleading intelligence and the failure to prepare for the aftermath of the invasion. His admission came in an interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN, which became an instant headline in Britain and all over the world, especially in the social media. The world reacted in shock and disbelief at the web of deceit the former British prime minister had spun to justify the Iraq war. His apology can’t bring back the lives and losses, but will help confirm a truth which the world already knows.
In another tacit admission of culpability, Blair said that he saw merit in the argument that the Iraq war was to blame for the rise of the Islamic State, also called Isis. “I think there are elements of truth in that,” he said when asked whether the Iraq invasion had been the “principal cause” of the rise of Isis. He added: “Of course you can’t say those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015.” The world would have been a different place, especially for Muslims, if the Iraq war hadn’t taken place. The rise in xenophobia and Islamophobia all over the world, including in Britain, can partly be attributed to the blood-curdling violence of the IS militants and by admitting his role in the creation of IS, Blair is admitting his role in the harassment and profiling of Muslims.
Blair’s apology comes before the publication of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war, which is likely to severely criticise him for leading Britain into an unwanted war. The Mail on Sunday reported yesterday that Sir John Chilcot, the former permanent secretary at the Northern Ireland Office who is chairing the inquiry, has identified a series of concerns. Blair will have plenty of explaining to do once the report comes out and there will be only a few buyers for those explanations. Blair is destined to be cursed forever by the British public for his role in the Iraq war; he continues to be roasted by the media and his rivals, and the former prime minister has remained thick-skinned amid the volley of attacks.
There have been calls for Blair to stand trial on war crime charges and the chorus is likely to intensify in the coming days. The British people must be praised for their relentless pursuit of Blair and for exposing him; they were infuriated by his deceit and lies. And the world will never forget the passion and conviction on his face when he was justifying the war before a global audience, while he was actually trotting out a pack of blatant lies.
Tony Blair has finally tendered a qualified apology over Iraq war – qualified because rather than apologising for the war itself, he apologized for the use of misleading intelligence and the failure to prepare for the aftermath of the invasion. His admission came in an interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN, which became an instant headline in Britain and all over the world, especially in the social media. The world reacted in shock and disbelief at the web of deceit the former British prime minister had spun to justify the Iraq war. His apology can’t bring back the lives and losses, but will help confirm a truth which the world already knows.
In another tacit admission of culpability, Blair said that he saw merit in the argument that the Iraq war was to blame for the rise of the Islamic State, also called Isis. “I think there are elements of truth in that,” he said when asked whether the Iraq invasion had been the “principal cause” of the rise of Isis. He added: “Of course you can’t say those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015.” The world would have been a different place, especially for Muslims, if the Iraq war hadn’t taken place. The rise in xenophobia and Islamophobia all over the world, including in Britain, can partly be attributed to the blood-curdling violence of the IS militants and by admitting his role in the creation of IS, Blair is admitting his role in the harassment and profiling of Muslims.
Blair’s apology comes before the publication of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war, which is likely to severely criticise him for leading Britain into an unwanted war. The Mail on Sunday reported yesterday that Sir John Chilcot, the former permanent secretary at the Northern Ireland Office who is chairing the inquiry, has identified a series of concerns. Blair will have plenty of explaining to do once the report comes out and there will be only a few buyers for those explanations. Blair is destined to be cursed forever by the British public for his role in the Iraq war; he continues to be roasted by the media and his rivals, and the former prime minister has remained thick-skinned amid the volley of attacks.
There have been calls for Blair to stand trial on war crime charges and the chorus is likely to intensify in the coming days. The British people must be praised for their relentless pursuit of Blair and for exposing him; they were infuriated by his deceit and lies. And the world will never forget the passion and conviction on his face when he was justifying the war before a global audience, while he was actually trotting out a pack of blatant lies.
