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We were right! The one and half million people who marched against the war in Iraq in London in 2003 and the millions who did the same all around the world were right.
The people knew-and have been vindicated by Chilcot- that the UK went to war before peaceful options were exhausted and military action was “not the last resort”.
It was a war of discretion rather than necessity which all of us said at the time. The invasion was based on “flawed intelligence and assessments” that went unchallenged by an arrogant political elite that wanted to maintain Britain’s dwindling international power by a dependent relationship with the United States.
Chilcot says that the Threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction were “presented with a certainty that was not justified” and Tony Blair’s assertions that his decision for action made “in good faith” sound as hollow now as his promises did then.
His assumption of “full responsibility for any mistakes” is 13 years too late.
The fact is that this war was a deliberate “act of military aggression launched on a false pretence”. We knew it at the time, we protested against it at the time, and we have all been vindicated by Chilcot. It is now highly desirable that there be a post facto political impeachment process of Tony Blair so that he is never able to hold political office in the UK or anywhere else ever again.
The Chilcot report, while a vindcation of the Global Peace Movement , is not very helpful to the millions who have been displaced from their homes by this invasion, or the millions who have been killed , injured and tortured afterwards. It is they who are suffering the long term consequences.
The report took a long time to write but because of this it will be challenging for the warmongers to rebut.
It’s an argument for transparency, for consultation , for honesty and only going to war as an act of defence and as an act of absolutely last resort.
Getting rid of Sadam Hussein was no justification for the chaos that has followed. This is a moment for us all to reflect on the failure of violence, militarism and war and to look for 21st century solutions that involve none of these things.
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