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Britain’s shameful bombing of Iraq

Britain's shameful bombing of Iraq

Twenty years ago Britain and the US indulged in a ruthless and immense bombing campaign against Iraq, a country which did not threaten us. This act was therefore a blatant war crime and the people who initiated it were, by definition, war criminals  – most notably Bush and Blair.

It was an outrage against humanity and a shameful blot on Britain’s reputation. Iraqi society was destroyed. With police and military removed terrible lawlessness erupted. Three million refugees fled Iraq, including Christians who had been protected under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Within Iraq six million people fled their homes. Terrorism was provoked. Out of this grew ISIS.

The bombing had been talked about for months and arguments for it were so obviously stupid that thinking people around the world were incensed and took to the streets in the biggest day of anti-war protests the world has ever seen. Tens of millions of people marched in 780 cities.

And yet, in what I think was the most shocking day in my lifetime, I saw hundreds of British politicians voting for war.

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Anniversary of amazing day of anti-war demonstrations

Anniversary of amazing day of anti-war demonstrations

Last week saw the 20th anniversary of an extraordinary and unique day in world history, 15 February 2003. It was the day when tens of millions of people marched in 780 cities around the world in protest against the proposed war by Britain and America, against Iraq.

Julie and I travelled up to London in a coach from Burgess Hill. We marched in a crowd of hundreds of thousands, (it turned out to be between one and two million) united in a common feeling of opposition to war and with an expectation that such a huge expression of public opinion could not be ignored.

The millions of marchers were right. Yet on 18 March 2003 hundreds of British MPs voted for war.

The ruthless and immense bombing campaign was an outrage against humanity and a shameful blot on Britain’s reputation. Iraqi society was destroyed. With police and military removed terrible lawlessness erupted. Three million refugees fled Iraq, including Christians who had been protected under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Terrorism was provoked.

Part of the anti-Iraq-war contingent from Burgess Hill, 15 February 2003.

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A flawed leader of a flawed country, Colin Powell, Former US Secretary of State, died 18 October 2021

Colin Powell, Former US Secretary of State, died 18 October 2021, age 84.

Giving false evidence to the UN

On 5 February 2003 Colin Powell was the man who sold the “evidence” of the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to the gullible statesmen and politicians in the UN. Their response gave the go-ahead to the Iraq war and the destruction of Iraq, a shameful, murderous act which created hostility, distrust and hatred of western powers. The people of Iraq are still paying a terrible price and so are we.

What he knew

At the time he would have known that the case he was advancing was absolutely valueless.

He would have known

  • that weapons inspectors had exhaustively searched Iraq and had destroyed numerous weapons and weapons facilities and believed their job was complete.
  • that “the inspectors” was not just a few dozen men and women but 276 teams of inspectors with 3,845 operatives at work for eight years
  • that you can’t find more hidden weapons by bombing a country
  • that withdrawing inspectors was counter-productive to the declared aim
  • that if weapons of mass destruction did exist they could not, at the same time, be both invisible and unfindable AND be known to be ready to attack the west at a moment’s notice
  • that if weapons of mass destruction did exist then that is not a sufficient reason to bomb a country – think of the countries known to possess nuclear weapons. Should they all be bombed?

The world was not deceived

Tens of millions of people around the world saw that the proposed bombing was an outrage against reason and humanity and took part in the world’s biggest ever anti-war demonstrations.

The supreme arrogance and dishonesty of the US

The US tells us frequently of its democratic values. Was it the democratic wish of the Iraqi people

  • that thousands of their people should be killed,
  • that most government administrative buildings should be destroyed, making the running of the country impossible in the short term
  • that their country should be occupied by US forces,
  • that Iraq’s oil industry should be taken over,
  • that over 200 Iraqi state run businesses should be privatised, available to foreign buyers
  • that over 11,000 Iraqi opponents of the occupation should be arrested – all in defiance of international law?

Earlier misdeeds

In his autobiography Colin Powell tells how, as a soldier in Vietnam, he torched Vietnamese villages setting the straw huts ablaze with his own Zippo lighter.

This was not an honourable man

That Powell played a key part in all this is not to his credit. We cannot honour such a man. Let’s not pretend the evil he has supported and facilitated has all been good for humanity.

The destruction of Iraq. British politicians, encouraged by Tony Blair, voted for this

David Roberts, 19 October 2021