The precursor for the invasion was the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. It was a massive blunder, leading to an enormous loss of life among Iraqis and the death of 179 British troops. British forces were sent in with no clear idea of the ultimate goal. That was not the case in Iraq in March 2003. In that way, the troops on the ground can achieve their objectives with a minimum of bloodshed. It is viable only when those involved in its planning and execution know precisely what they want to achieve. Military invasion should always be a last resort. Tony Blair must shoulder a great deal of the responsibility for their grief, but it is a responsibility he has always shirked. If he possessed a shred of it, Tony Blair would know that the knighthood announced in the New Year's Honours List has already been rendered meaningless by the furious response of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Britons, writes Colonel Tim Collins The only thing those families wanted was the one thing that no one could give them - to have their youngster back with them. I felt an intense sadness and frustration that has stayed with me ever since, and will haunt me to the end of my days. The waste of such lives is shattering - for their comrades and commanding officers, but most of all for their families. Many young soldiers died - or sustained terrible injuries - as a result of Blair's disastrous, deceitful Iraq War venture. No words are sufficient to express my disgust at the treatment of servicemen who did their duty in Northern Ireland, only to be accused of committing crimes by serving their country - while, at the Blair government's instigation, republican terrorists were exonerated. It is a mark of his narcissism that he will ignore the petition and I regard it as symbolic of his total disgrace. The petition further demands that Blair be 'held accountable for war crimes'. If he possessed a shred of it - or indeed a smidgeon of self-respect - Tony Blair would know that the knighthood announced in the New Year's Honours List has already been rendered meaningless by the furious response of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Britons.īy last night, more than 740,000 people had signed a petition calling for the Queen to rescind his appointment to a knighthood as a member of the Royal Order of the Garter, England's oldest and most senior order of chivalry.
0 kommentar(er)
