Finally, 4135 days late (or 10 years and 120 days later), the British Establishment is agreeing with the million British citizens at Hyde Park on Valentine’s Day 2003 – by declaring Tony Blair “mad” on Iraq. On that 2003 Valentine’s Day, when this writer flew into London from Banjul to report on the Hyde Park Demonstration, Blair hid away from the million strong crowd – and left it to the late great Tony Benn and the American Rev. Jesse Jackson to address the crowd and condemn Blair’s and Bush’s War (UK & USA citizens were against the war by huge majorities).
The Banjul Observer, Harare Herald and Addis Herald headlined my report “World Against War” and indeed the Blair/Bush Madness was demonstrated against in every major world capital city that Valentine’s Day. Nevertheless, Blair and Bush had their war and set the Middle East on fire destroying probably up to 10 million lives: they then retired to their ranches to enjoy rich retirements.
Now, in June 2014, when the vicious Islamic Jihadists threaten to overthrow the bloody “democracy” that Blair and Bush installed bloodily, Blair pops up and advocates for a new bombing campaign in both Iraq – and Syria! To the chagrin of many British people, Blair also declared that he and Bush are “not to blame” for the chaos in Iraq today. That attempt at self-justification has led to Blair’s condemnation by much of the British Press. And our London Mayor Boris Johnson has called Blair “unhinged” – and one couldn’t better that!
I just wish to ask, in vain, that ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda demand an un-redacted copy of the Iraqi War Report that is to be released in UK soon (apparently, the British people will only get a much redacted copy of that report – with much of Blair’s and Bush’s pre-war discussions blacked out).
Dida Halake, London, UK.