Irak War in UK

[Cees Binkhorst]

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De evenknie van 'onze commissie'?

Groet / Cees

Britain Did Not Rush Into Iraq War: Blair Aide
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/12/world/international-us-britain-iraq.html
By REUTERS
Published: January 12, 2010
Filed at 7:12 a.m. ET

LONDON (Reuters)- British Prime Minister Tony Blair sought a diplomatic
solution to fears over Iraq's weapons program until just before the
U.S-led invasion in 2003, his former communications chief said Tuesday.

Appearing before a public inquiry into the Iraq war, Alastair Campbell
said there never was a "precipitate rush to war" despite the close ties
between Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush.

"You seem to be wanting me to say that Tony Blair signed up to say
regardless of the facts, regardless of WMD (weapons of mass
destruction), we are just going to get rid of the guy (Saddam). It was
not like that," Campbell told the inquiry.

He said that Blair, prime minister from 1997 to 2007, was concerned
about the links between weapons of mass destruction, rogue states and
terrorism and that these fears pre-dated the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on
the United States by al Qaeda.

The five-person inquiry is seeking to learn lessons from the Iraq war.
Blair is expected to appear before it in the next few weeks.

The inquiry comes at a sensitive time in British politics, with an
election due by June which the opposition Conservatives are forecast to win.

Many supporters of center-left Labor remain angry at Blair for leading
Britain into a war in which 179 British soldiers were killed.

Britain joined the invasion despite widespread doubts about its legality
and mass protests against it on the streets of London.

Campbell said that current Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who served as
finance minister under Blair, was one of the inner circle of advisers to
Blair.

"Gordon Brown would have been one of the key ministers that he would
have spoken to regularly," Campbell said. Brown will not appear before
the inquiry until after the election.

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