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Blair 'on trial' over Iraq

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Published Date: 22 June 2009
TONY Blair faces calls to give evidence under oath and in public to the Iraq war inquiry following reports that he urged Gordon Brown to hold the probe behind closed doors.
The pressure for the former Prime Minister to be made to testify openly about the 2003 invasion came after it emerged Mr Blair had spoken about the inquiry to the country's most senior civil servant, Sir Gus O'Donnell.

Mr Blair is said to have warned against a "show trial", though Downing Street denied that he had interfered.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who described the intervention of the former Prime Minister as "outrageous", said Mr Blair should be made to appear in public under oath.

"If the inquiry is to have any legitimacy the prime architect of the decision to go to war in Iraq, alongside George Bush, should give his evidence in public under oath," he said.

In a clear break from last week's message, ministers signalled many sessions could be held in public anyway.





The full article contains 172 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 21 June 2009 10:34 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: War in Iraq
 
1

For Scotlands Future,

Vote for the SNP 22/06/2009 00:29:11
This will sort of dent his image as a Statesman and Peace Negotiator.

Worst of all, it may affect the number of lectures he'll be asked to give at £50,000 a pop, and the number of Boards of Directors he'll be invited to sit on. Her in-doors will not be pleased.

Still, I'm sure Maggie Brown, like Teflon Tony, will sacrifice anyone in order to deflect blame from himself.
2

Edward,

22/06/2009 00:35:57
Hope Blair is dragged to give eveidence in full glare of the cameras, for all the world to see what kind of creep he really is
Then criminal proceedings should be taken out against him.
3

Fletty73,

Stirling 22/06/2009 00:39:20
He should go to Jail aye. But so should all the voters that re-elected him in 2005?
4

Edward,

22/06/2009 00:50:09
#3 Fletty73
I totally agree, however as one who did vote Labour in 2005, would have to disagree about having myself put in jail. How about 1000 lines 'I must not vote for war criminal again'? Im also happy to do 1000 hours community service especially if it involves canvassing for the SNP, as I want an Independent Scotland
5

Electric Hermit,

22/06/2009 02:48:27
Who really believes that Tony "The Weasel" Blair will actually permit himself to be publicly humiliated as he deserves? If he cannot worm his way out of this he is not the lying, devious, conniving little turdlet we have all come to know and despise.

6

gus1940,

Edinburgh 22/06/2009 08:01:42
Put him in front of The International Criminal Court along with Bush Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and all the other NeoCons and when found guilty of War Crimes string the whole lot of them up.
7

Observer,,

Glasgow 22/06/2009 08:15:26
3 I don't think we could jail them all, it wouldn't be practical. Presumably they voted a bunch of mass murderers back into Office because the economy was doing so good, (they must have thought we would never have to pay it all back). Aye well, they ken noo. I hope they are the ones who get their houses re-possessed at least.
8

Campaign Lawer,

Elgin 22/06/2009 08:51:41

I am surprised the EU hasn't instigated war crime charges against Blair & Brown
9

ddmc,

22/06/2009 08:59:15
Bliar want's his place in history to show what a great statesman he was. Luckily for us he will always be remembered as Bush's poodle & a war criminal who bent, twisted & distorted truth for his own means, along with his sidekick campbell (although some think that Bliar was Campbell's sidekick). The only 2 people who deserve praise were Robin Cook & Claire Short who at least had the decency to resign.

Have Bliar & Campbell apologised to Gillagan after destroying his career for telling the truth ! As it's now common knowledge they lied & got a whitewash to cover up for them. Mushroom clouds over London in 45 minutes.
10

M78,

Tain 22/06/2009 08:59:51
Where Bliar is concerned, any enquiry will be a whitewash, remember Hutton??
11

Mike S,

22/06/2009 09:17:33
Talk about job creation. Stir things upin the Middle East then get a very good paying job as the man to try and sort out the middle east problem. It keeps you away from the flak at home and the expenses are the envy of any MP.
12

The Former Mr. Angry,

Perth 22/06/2009 09:19:58
What he needs is a show trial. The treacherous poodle Bliar needs to be exposed for what he is and what we know he is. Brown needs to be in the dock with him. That is what both of them are so scared of. Another book Gordon? "Cowardice".
13

,

22/06/2009 09:30:30
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
14

zeitgeist,

22/06/2009 12:54:35
Yet another inquiry will acheive nothing just as Hutton and Butler. The British establishment will close ranks just as they always have - but we the proletariat can console ourselves with the thought that 'lessons will be learned'.
15

Luigiana,

Aberdeen 22/06/2009 13:01:22
#10ddmc

Robin Cook and Claire Short only resigned when they never got the jobs they wanted. It was a case of nothing to lose, everything to gain.

Still, I'm glad they did resign (pity they didn't do it when they first thought about it).
16

Joe Plaice,

The Nutmeg of Consolation 22/06/2009 13:17:25
Apart from his resignation, I always thought of Robin Cook as a rather odious and incompetent wee adulterer. He was never much cop as a minister that's for sure. His tenure as Foreign Secretary made Dubya's gaffs look good. People have such short memories when someone dies, they become wonderful.

As for Bliar and Broon,they should be put on a rendition flight and dropped off in a Sunni area of Baghdad. See how popular they are with THAT electorate.
17

JCA REID,

Annan 22/06/2009 13:37:31
Folk are forgetting this is "Teflon Tony" - nowt will stick! He'll sail through any midden & come up smelling of roses!!
18

Ifan Har,

Scotland 22/06/2009 14:41:33
Iraq was a fourth rate country run by a third rate dictator it was incapable of repelling an invasion by Britain and America.

To call the invasion that caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands a war is an insult to the Iraqi dead!

Now, if America had sought to invade China and liberate the Chinese that would justifiably be classified as a war!

Problem is that they would have been in retreat in a very short while because China has enough resources to fight back, successfully resisting the invaders.
19

Tartan Bond,

22/06/2009 17:55:23
This enquiry will be worth nothing without the American crew giving evidence: Bush, Rumsfeld, Rice, Cheney, Powell and that is just not going to happen.
The Saville Enquiry into "Bloody Sunday" was established in 1998 and his still to report. How can an enquiry into Gulf War II be expected to conclude in less time than the Saville Enquiry except as a show trial?
20

Thomas79,

Ayrshire 22/06/2009 21:52:16
Although I agree with some of what has been blogged above, I do think we need to look at both sides of the argument.

Was the post war planning good - No
Should the UK and USA have given the inspectors more time - yes
Did Blair and Bush go to war on a falsehood - well Bush was honest, he never hyped the WMD as much as Blair, he basically just to

 

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