The Chilcot Iraq Inquiry has heard testimony from Lord Boyce (former defence chief), who stated that the US believed the UK would take part in the Iraq invasion even if there were no efforts to solve the crisis via the UN.
In fact, the US saw no need for UN approval. Given that Bush's "ambassador" (never to be formally approved) to the UN at the time was John Bolton, a man who happily stated that the top floors of the UN could be removed without any difference in function, this attitude towards the UN is hardly surprising.
Lord Boyce is quoted by the BBC:
"There was a huge reluctance by the US throughout, from July 2002 through to March 17 2003 to believe that we were not going to commit our forces unless we had been fully through the UN process and through Parliament as well.
No matter how many times you said to senior US officers... there was a complete reluctance to believe that."
The US has learned from the failure in Iraq and Afghanistan that "yee hah!" is not an effective foreign policy tool.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
What a Shambles!
Aside from being conned into the Iraq war, the British and American people may well be feeling more than a little "aggrieved" over the disgraceful waste of time and resources wrt "rebuilding" the wreck of that country.
The Iraq inquiry in London has heard from two senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials who said that there had been a lack of resources, and that when Blair visited Iraq two months after the invasion he found that the body set up to run Iraq was a "shambles".
Sir Peter Ricketts, the political director at the Foreign Office between 2001 and 2003, said:
"Perhaps most strikingly the Prime Minister when he visited in early June [actually May 30] came back with a forceful sense that Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) was a shambles."
Seemingly British attempts to improve the "dire" planning for the aftermath of the invasion were repeatedly ignored by the USA.
As both the US and UK struggle to fund their ballooning public sector debts, their hapless taxpayers have the right to ask some very pointed questions of their then "leaders" as to what happened to the vast sums of money expended on "rebuilding" Iraq, and why the entire enterprise has turned into such a shambles.
The ex "leaders" responsible for this disgrace should not be allowed to enjoy their well paid retirement from political office, without being made to undergo some heavy duty cross examination on this subject.
The Iraq inquiry in London has heard from two senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials who said that there had been a lack of resources, and that when Blair visited Iraq two months after the invasion he found that the body set up to run Iraq was a "shambles".
Sir Peter Ricketts, the political director at the Foreign Office between 2001 and 2003, said:
"Perhaps most strikingly the Prime Minister when he visited in early June [actually May 30] came back with a forceful sense that Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) was a shambles."
Seemingly British attempts to improve the "dire" planning for the aftermath of the invasion were repeatedly ignored by the USA.
As both the US and UK struggle to fund their ballooning public sector debts, their hapless taxpayers have the right to ask some very pointed questions of their then "leaders" as to what happened to the vast sums of money expended on "rebuilding" Iraq, and why the entire enterprise has turned into such a shambles.
The ex "leaders" responsible for this disgrace should not be allowed to enjoy their well paid retirement from political office, without being made to undergo some heavy duty cross examination on this subject.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Invading Iraq Was Illegal
Lord Steyn, a crossbench peer and former Law Lord, is quoted in the FT:
"The invasion of Iraq has had, and will continue to have, grave consequences for the peace and security of the region and the world. It weakened international institutions.
It fractured the international rule of law.
It encouraged disrespect for the law by authoritarian regimes who copied the words and examples of George W. Bush and Tony Blair. Torture became ever more widespread. Rendition, a fancy word for kidnapping, became institutionalised as a form of torture by proxy in odious regimes."
Meanwhile the Iraq Inquiry was told by Sir David Manning, Blair's foreign policy adviser, on Monday that Blair promised George Bush at a meeting in Texas, 11 months before the Iraq invasion, that he would be prepared to join the US in toppling Saddam Hussein.
The trouble with Blair's promise is that it was illegal.
Blair was warned by Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general, and other legal advisers that going to war with regime change as the objective was unlawful and breached the UN charter.
QED: The war was illegal!
"The invasion of Iraq has had, and will continue to have, grave consequences for the peace and security of the region and the world. It weakened international institutions.
It fractured the international rule of law.
It encouraged disrespect for the law by authoritarian regimes who copied the words and examples of George W. Bush and Tony Blair. Torture became ever more widespread. Rendition, a fancy word for kidnapping, became institutionalised as a form of torture by proxy in odious regimes."
Meanwhile the Iraq Inquiry was told by Sir David Manning, Blair's foreign policy adviser, on Monday that Blair promised George Bush at a meeting in Texas, 11 months before the Iraq invasion, that he would be prepared to join the US in toppling Saddam Hussein.
The trouble with Blair's promise is that it was illegal.
Blair was warned by Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general, and other legal advisers that going to war with regime change as the objective was unlawful and breached the UN charter.
QED: The war was illegal!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Questionable Legitimacy
Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the UK's ambassador to the UN in 2003, told the Iraq Inquiry (source BBC):
"If you do something internationally that the majority of UN member states think is wrong, illegitimate or politically unjustifiable, you are taking a risk in my view.
I regarded our participation in the military action against Iraq in March 2003 as legal but of questionable legitimacy in that it did not have the democratically observable backing of a great majority of member states or even perhaps of a majority of people inside the UK."
Quite!
"If you do something internationally that the majority of UN member states think is wrong, illegitimate or politically unjustifiable, you are taking a risk in my view.
I regarded our participation in the military action against Iraq in March 2003 as legal but of questionable legitimacy in that it did not have the democratically observable backing of a great majority of member states or even perhaps of a majority of people inside the UK."
Quite!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
The Iraq Inquiry
The Iraq Inquiry, currently being held in London, is gradually peeling back the layers of obfuscation (much like an onion) put up by politicians and civil servants.
Seemingly the newly elected Bush administration was looking at plans to enforce regime change sometime before 9/11.
Additionally, some 10 days before the war started, Blair was told that Iraq had no WMD.
As the inquiry goes on it will become increasingly clear that the US and UK public were conned by their governments into this unnecessary war.
Seemingly the newly elected Bush administration was looking at plans to enforce regime change sometime before 9/11.
Additionally, some 10 days before the war started, Blair was told that Iraq had no WMD.
As the inquiry goes on it will become increasingly clear that the US and UK public were conned by their governments into this unnecessary war.
Monday, November 23, 2009
No Whitewash
Sir John Chilcot, Chairman of the Iraq war inquiry, has promised that it will result in a "full and insightful" account of event and that there will be no whitewash.
Didn't Nixon once say the same about Watergate?
Sir John was also at pains to point out that the inquiry will not deliver a verdict as to whether the war was legal or illegal.
Evidence from senior government figures will start tomorrow, Tony Blair will be called early in 2010.
Didn't Nixon once say the same about Watergate?
Sir John was also at pains to point out that the inquiry will not deliver a verdict as to whether the war was legal or illegal.
Evidence from senior government figures will start tomorrow, Tony Blair will be called early in 2010.
Monday, October 26, 2009
A Shambles
The double suicide bombing in Baghdad on Sunday that claimed more than 130 lives, and wounded hundreds more, highlights that the situation in Iraq is still far from stable.
Other news from that troubled country indicates that even the construction of the world's largest and "most secure" embassy (the US embassy) has been spectacularly botched.
Despite the US spending $700M on construction, the yet to be completed complex is riddled with serious flaws eg; "safe areas" that were not constructed according to contract specifications, walls and walkways that have begun to crack and a power distribution system that used nonstandard wiring.
There are also plumbing problems in 200 locations in the embassy compound, eg the deputy ambassador has the pleasure of airconditioning that pumps noxious sewage fumes into his residence, and deficiencies in a water treatment plant.
The cost of repairs is estimated at being a "mere" $132M.
However, the cost of running the new complex is expected to be so exorbitant that the US may well be forced to rent out part of the space.
Why on earth was such an unwieldy building commissioned in the first place?
As some local wags point out, if the Americans cannot even build their own embassy without botching it, how can they possibly expect to build a nation?
Other news from that troubled country indicates that even the construction of the world's largest and "most secure" embassy (the US embassy) has been spectacularly botched.
Despite the US spending $700M on construction, the yet to be completed complex is riddled with serious flaws eg; "safe areas" that were not constructed according to contract specifications, walls and walkways that have begun to crack and a power distribution system that used nonstandard wiring.
There are also plumbing problems in 200 locations in the embassy compound, eg the deputy ambassador has the pleasure of airconditioning that pumps noxious sewage fumes into his residence, and deficiencies in a water treatment plant.
The cost of repairs is estimated at being a "mere" $132M.
However, the cost of running the new complex is expected to be so exorbitant that the US may well be forced to rent out part of the space.
Why on earth was such an unwieldy building commissioned in the first place?
As some local wags point out, if the Americans cannot even build their own embassy without botching it, how can they possibly expect to build a nation?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Iraq War Inquiry
Sir John Chilcot, Chairman of the official inquiry into the Iraq war, has invited submissions from members of the public who believe they have information useful to the inquiry.
The inquiry will consider the UK's involvement in Iraq, how decisions were made and will identify lessons that can be learned.
There are many who want former prime minister (and possible president of Europe), Tony Blair, to be held accountable for taking the UK into the war.
Submissions can be made in writing or via the inquiry website:
- www.iraqinquiry.org.uk
The address for written submissions is:
Submissions,
The Iraq Inquiry,
35 Great Smith Street,
London
SW1P 3BQ.
The inquiry will consider the UK's involvement in Iraq, how decisions were made and will identify lessons that can be learned.
There are many who want former prime minister (and possible president of Europe), Tony Blair, to be held accountable for taking the UK into the war.
Submissions can be made in writing or via the inquiry website:
- www.iraqinquiry.org.uk
The address for written submissions is:
Submissions,
The Iraq Inquiry,
35 Great Smith Street,
London
SW1P 3BQ.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Imperial Folly
The Telegraph reports that the soldier and former American football player Pat Tillman who was killed in Afghanistan thought George W. Bush was a "cowboy" and the Iraq an "imperial folly".
Slowly, but surely, the truth behind the hype over this invasion will come out. Bush, Cheney et al will be kept very busy trying to defend their reputations in the coming years.
Slowly, but surely, the truth behind the hype over this invasion will come out. Bush, Cheney et al will be kept very busy trying to defend their reputations in the coming years.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Deja Vu
Isn't this what the so called "regime change" meant to stop?
Iraqi shoe-thrower: I was tortured with electric shocks
Iraqi shoe-thrower: I was tortured with electric shocks
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