Iraq war planning wholly irresponsible, say senior UK military figures

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

The way Britain was led into war with Iraq 10 years ago was "wholly irresponsible" and the lack of intelligence on the country a national disgrace, senior military figures have told the Guardian.

Though they direct their fire principally at the Bush administration, they make clear the Blair government must share a lot of the blame.

"It was absolutely irresponsible to go in without thinking of the consequences", said Lord Guthrie, former chief of defence staff and head of the army. He added: "War is dangerous, difficult, and dirty, but usually cheaper and shorter and easier than what can happen after the fighting stops."

Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary at the time, had a "lot to answer for", Guthrie added, referring to the way Rumsfeld, notorious for his "stuff happens" description of widespread looting in Baghdad, allowed Paul Bremer, the US chief administrator – in effect the US governor of Iraq after the invasion – to ban the Ba'ath party and dismantle the Iraqi army.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/17/iraq-war-planning-wholly-irresponsible

[hobbit709]

1. And no one raised these objections back then?

[Lenomsky]

6. 1 million demonstrated in London ..

against the War in Iraq! Blair didn't take note clearly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003_anti-war_protest#London

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. B-Liar had his yes men in parliament or else it wouldn't have happened

The Labour Party became the Republican Party

[CJCRANE]

8. It was mainly the Conservative Party that voted for it.

A lot of Labour MPs voted against the Iraq War resolution (and so did the Liberal Democrats IIRC).

I found this on the BBC website:

Blair wins war backing amid revolt


Blair: This is not the time to falter
Tony Blair has won Commons backing to send UK forces into battle with Saddam Hussein - but also suffered another major backbench rebellion.

Amid dramatic scenes in the Commons on Tuesday night, 217 MPs - 139 of them Labour backbenchers - backed a rebel amendment opposing the government's stance on Iraq, with 396 opposing the motion.

---

Fifteen Tories defied their leadership by voting against the government.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2862325.stm

So it looks like 139 Labour MPs voted against the Iraq War compared to only 15 Conservatives who opposed it. So the Conservatives own the Iraq War as much as Blair.

[CJCRANE]

2. K&R.

[Diclotican]

3. alp227

alp227

Wel, I guess the ones who defied Mr O great Defense minister Rumsfeld and told him, that he was wrong - and that US need a lot of more soldiers on the ground, if they had to be a sucess..... Wa right, when they was told to take earlier retirement or get fired..... Donald wanted this war - and got it - but he was dead wrong - and it cost the US billions of dollar to accomplish..

And I also think anyone who was against this war - should be given a apology from everyone who was telling how bad they was, who was not supporting the Iraq war....

Dilclotican

[Deep13]

4. "Duh!" says rest of world. nt

[denvine]

9. My sentiments exactly!

[Lenomsky]

5. B-Liar was in Bush's pocket ..

What is B-Liar worth now he's converted to Catholicism and a speaker in USA? Rhetorical.

From the start of the War on Terror in 2001, Blair strongly supported the foreign policy of US President George W. Bush, notably by participating in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In an interview with Michael Parkinson broadcast on ITV1 on 4 March 2006, Blair referred to the role of his Christian faith in his decision to go to war in Iraq, stating that he had prayed about the issue, and saying that God would judge him for his decision: "I think if you have faith about these things, you realise that judgement is made by other people ... and if you believe in God, it's made by God as well.

On 22 December 2007, it was disclosed that Blair, who in 1996, had been reprimanded by Cardinal Basil Hume for receiving Holy Communion at Mass despite not being a Catholic, in contravention of canon law,[37] had converted to the Catholic faith, and that it was "a private matter".[38][39] He had informed Pope Benedict XVI on 23 June 2007 that he wanted to become a Catholic. The Pope and his advisors criticised some of Blair's political actions, but followed up with a reportedly unprecedented red-carpet welcome, which included Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who would be responsible for Blair's Catholic instruction.[40] In 2010, “The Tablet” named him as one of Britain’s most influential Roman Catholics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_blair

War Criminal directed by GOD no less oh FFS!

[daleo]

10. And criminal too.

[tanyev]

11. Hey! Cheney spent a lot of time with oil and gas companies to fairly divide the expected booty.

[ronnie624]

12. "The real failure was the failure to plan properly for what happened."

The real failure, in my opinion, is in a system that allows aggressive, predatory wars rationalized with lies and conspiracy.

[Bandit]

13. The "Real Failure" IMO is ongoing.

No one has yet been held liable for taking the USA to War based upon LIES....That IMO is the Obama Administration's failure...It won't be that dificult for it to happen again since there are no consequences...

[ronnie624]

14. I agree completely.

And it will happen again.