Tony Blair At The Iraq Inquiry

[arwebb]

Anybody been following it today? If so, any thoughts?

[Citius Altius Fortius]

It was in the German news, too - some visitors were interviewed and a lady said, that it is interesting how he has to answer unpleasant questions - and she added that Tony Blair fought for a place in the British history books: he received one, which he didn't wanted...

[arwebb]

I think anybody who hoped or expected to see Tony Blair express regret or contrition, or to even offer an apology, is highly naive and will probably be very bitterly disappointed this evening. Personally, from what I've read during the day and what I've seen tonight, we got largely what I guess I expected to see deep down - namely a passionate, unrepentant and totally convinced defence of his decision to send this country into war seven years ago. I'm not Blair's biggest fan by any means, but I believed he was right then and I believe he is right now.

[Rob2012]

I've yet to see what Blair said in detail today, but from what I have read it doesn't sound like anything unexpected or new was said. He's a man for whom everything is black and white.

I still think everything's too raw to judge whether this was a just war though; and by that I don't mean whether it was legal or not. 20, 50, 100 years may need to pass before we can really tell whether it was "right" or not; and I mean that in the broadest sense, i.e. good for Iraq.

But I think even if the war is ultimately seen as a positive but bloody turning point in the history of Iraq (a big if), the reasons cited for going to war, the methods used in persuading the case, the blatant disregard for public opinion, the lack of planning for a post-war Iraq etc. etc. are still unforgivable. Even if this war turns out to have been a good thing, it's still not something I want to see a British government do again, and certainly not the way it did it.

One concern about both Iraq and Afghanistan is that if Britain genuinly needs to go to war in the future - for real reasons of national security, not tenuous ones, only the most consumate and skilled politician will be able to get the public on side. Someone like Blair...

[arwebb]

As ever with this sort of issue, the final judgement will be that which is made by the analysts, the academics and the historians. What I found most interesting today, however, was the implication by Blair that Iran should be next.

[Rob2012]

What did he say to imply that?

[arwebb]

As I read it, he suggested that Iran is in a similar position to what Iraq was before the war in terms of weapons of mass destruction programmes, a destabilising effect on the region, an oppressive regime and a threat to the wider world.

[Citius Altius Fortius]

What I found most interesting today, however, was the implication by Blair that Iran should be next.

What did he say to imply that?

As I read it, he suggested that Iran is in a similar position to what Iraq was before the war in terms of weapons of mass destruction programmes, a destabilising effect on the region, an oppressive regime and a threat to the wider world.

mhhh - I agree Iran is an oppressive regime, which doesn't stick to human rights and it is a threat to the wider world, but isn't it strange that Belarus, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Yemen, Pakistan or Saudi-Arabia aren't called the same?

[Rob2012]

I couldn't think of anything worse than sending troops into Iran and martyting a regime and an ideology whose grip on power is already slipping without our intervention.

[Citius Altius Fortius]

I just got into my mind that the remark about Iran by Blair is a distraction, too - the people are talking more about this remark than about his deeds and decisions, what are the topis in this inquiry...

I think he is a good "talker" (he can use the words very well), but this injuiry shows, too, that his time is gone.

[Citius Altius Fortius]

Is it standard that interviews in official parliamentary inquiries are broadcasted with an "one minute delay" - I just heard that Blairs' interview in the Iraq Inquiry was shown on TV with an "one minute delay"...

[Rob2012]

The whole thing has been that way, not just Blair's questioning. Whether it's usual or not, I don't know.

[Citius Altius Fortius]

thanks Rob for the explanation - I saw a pic of Blair during the questioning, which was a screenshot of a TV-set and on that photo I sayed that the broadcast has One Minute Delay

[arwebb]

I think it's just something they've done for this inquiry. I've certainly never seen anything like that during coverage of Parliament, for example.

[DannyelBrazil]

And now tony blair is advisor for Rio 2016...