Blair just said “You would be hard pressed to find anyone who in September 2002 doubted that Saddam had WMD”.
It wouldn’t have been that hard. If he had asked members of the Near East and North Africa Department of the FCO, the Middle East experts in the FCO’s Research Analysts, or in the Defence Intelligence Service, he would have found absolutely no shortage of people who doubted it, whatever position No 10 was forcing on their institutions.
One of the many failures of this Inquiry has been a failure to ask individual witnesses before it whether they personally had believed in the existence of any significant Iraqi WMD programme. I know for certain that would have drawn some extremely enlightening answers from among the FCO and probably MOD participants.
Sir Martin Gilbert allowed Blair to conflate Iran, Iraq, Al-Qaida, WMD and terrorism in a completely unjustified way. When Straw tried exactly the same trick, Rod Lyne did not allow him to get away with it.
A further stark contrast with Straw is that both Blair and Straw were asked about the failure of the UK to secure movement in the Middle East peace process by using our role in Iraq to influence the USA. A major, detailed and fascinating part of Straw’s answer was that Israel’s – and specifically Netanyahu’s – political influence in the USA had prevented progress.
By contrast, Blair did not even mention Israel in response to the questions on the failure to achieve progress in the Middle East. He solely blamed the Palestinian Intafada. He has been anxious to widen the discussion beyond Iraq at every opportunity, and frequently referred to destabilising factors in the Middle East, and again and again pointed to a growing threat from Iran and Iranian sponsorship of terrorism, and to Palestinian terrorism (including Saddam Hussein’s past sponsorship of it).
He has made not one single comment about Israel’s behaviour as a contributing factor in Middle East instability. Given Blair’s official position as Middle East envoy, this lack of any bare pretence at impartiality is most revealing.
Glenn, are you proud of this line of questioning, and this line of thinking? I don’t think Craig Murray’s blog is a place for your childish banter. I know that you’re not that educated and can’t compose an argument (relying instead on the need to get the last word in, even if it’s a word that makes no sense), but please understand it’s time for you to act like an adult now.
Jumping Jehosephat!
Anno, you’re right. There are a lot of very rich and powerful people dancing on the graves of the dead of both Iraq and Afghanistan, and for them, the party just goes on and on. War is their bread and butter, their porn, their cake and their golden bed. I hope they do get their comeuppence, in this life or the next (or both) but I’m not holding my breath…
Larry,
I’m not prepared to play ‘ring o’roses’ with you, that is your mentality, you are stuck in a loop – go play debunking, it is your forte and will be your downfall.
According to the nzherald another ‘al-Qaeda’ attack imminent:
http://tinyurl.com/more-al-qaeda
I hope Panetta can schedule the strike when I am awake – 8am – 2pm GMT
A pocket full of posies, atissue, atissue… Bubonic Plague.
Did I say spiders?
I don’t believe Larry, is a lawyer. I believe he is a fat forty something who still lives with Mom.
How else would he have so much time to post?
A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!
“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!”
You’re out of here ? Well, maybe we can do a deal, what kind of a kingdom have you got ?
The kingdom of the mind.
Golding: “I’m not prepared to play ‘ring o’roses’ with you,”
right, after you couldn’t let go of the very odd question of whether i’m a corporate bankruptcy attorney
the record reflects what a strange person you are
are you still worried about the “coordinated, space concious swarms of hornets”
31 January 2010
“Completely Shameless”
“Blair Benefits From Banking Crisis”…
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98788.php
February 5, 2010
“Brussels, London, Istanbul: A Week Of Western War Councils”…
http://tinyurl.com/yjpb98x
BAE…
http://tinyurl.com/yeygmvk
6 February 2010
“Tony Blair was at the centre of controversy over BAE’s arms deal with Tanzania, just as he was in the Saudi contracts.”…
http://tinyurl.com/yjdukvn
“The kingdom of the mind. ”
I’m outclassed. I suspected you might say that, & still haven’t got a snappy response. It’s probably just as well, I haven’t got any horses to swap for it, anyway.
“Denis Halliday Speaking at the World Tribunal on Iraq”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N05COs2wv3s
The Iraq Inquiry…
http://tinyurl.com/ya9dexq
I am so frustrated with the corrupt mainstream media, that will never provide us with the truth, and inquiry whitewashes that don’t get to the heart of the matter.
What were the reasons for the Iraq war, reasons that the MSM will never tell us.
Well one is Israel – the neocons (many of them Israeli passport holders)hijacked US foreign policy to nullify one of their threats. If Israel had there way, they would have regime change for all of their non-puppet neighbours.
Another MAJOR reason I’ve only just become aware of – retaining dominance of the US dollar. Few people know that Saddam decided in 2000 to sell his oil in Euros, rather than the US petrodollar. This results in less demand for the US dollar, reducing its value. The first thing the US did after taking over the oil fields was to return the oil sales back to Petrodollars. Iran have also since moved to the Euro – challenging US currency dominance – hence the threat to Iran. You won’t see this stuff in the MSM!
Please see the following links:-
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/19-us-dollar-vs-the-euro-another-reason-for-the-invasion-of-iraq/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEpp9E6aJGw
“I am so frustrated with the corrupt mainstream media”
“In America you can say anything you want ?” as long as it doesn’t have any effect.”…
http://killinghope.org/bblum6/aer78.html
In the UK you can say anything you want ?” as long as it doesn’t have any effect.
“Why We Seek War?”
“Not Holding Leaders Responsable for Crimes Only Breeds More War”…
http://tinyurl.com/ya4de8n
December 15, 2009
“The Real Ugliness of the Obama / Wall Street Connection”…
tinyurl.com/ykfdkt7