War critics say Tony Blair is 'rewriting history'

[cal04]

By Hazel Mollison
http://www.scotsman.com/news/War-critics-say-Tony-Blair.5907445.jp

SENIOR politicians have criticised Tony Blair's confession that he would have invaded Iraq even if it was known then that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

The former prime minister – who is due to give evidence in the new year to the Chilcot inquiry into the war – said the threat posed by Saddam to the wider region had meant it was right to remove him from power.

But opponents have accused him of trying to "rewrite history" and leading the country into a "disastrous and illegal war".

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said Blair would not have obtained the support of the Cabinet or parliament for war if he had been so open about his view on regime change at the time.

In a BBC radio interview yesterday he said: "In spite of experience, in spite of the benefit of hindsight, Mr Blair still does not realise just how much of a foreign policy disaster Britain's involvement in the military action against Iraq turned out to be.

"I have no doubt whatsoever that if Mr Blair had told his cabinet what he is now saying, he'd have found it very difficult to keep all of them – he did, of course, lose Robin Cook and, eventually, Clare Short. But the one place he would have undoubtedly failed would have been in the House of Commons."

[bemildred]

1. Blair would not know History if it shoved a broomstick up his ass. nt

[LiberalFighter]

2. He made sure a broomstick couldn't go there.

That's why it is so tight. Probably has GW's nose there to impede the broomstick.

[burning rain]

3. Hmm, he's in the wrong country if he wants to be sure to get away with that shit.

I hope he gets his.

[T_i_B]

4. He rewrote history constantly when he was PM anyway

New Labour was always about spinning.