Yes it's good that it's down on paper now, 2.6 million words of it, costing ten million pounds. Ten. Million. Pounds. And seven years. All neat and official now: the Iraq war should not have happened.
Millions of us told you so. We marched all over the planet to tell you so but that didn't count because they knew best, George and Tony and their mates knew best. They said it was The Right Thing To Do and that God was on their side.
Now 2.6 million words confirm that, actually, we knew best and they, Tony and George & Co. were wrong. It was a mistake. But that's okay because Tony has apologised. He said: " I express more sorrow regret and apology than you can ever believe." That's life. Stuff happens. We should lighten up, eh?
No.
Around two million Iraqui civilians lost their lives, limbs, country and futures.Thousands of American and hundreds of British army personnel died and were maimed or permanently traumatised for nothing, for a 'mistake'. Saddam was toppled but there are now 100 Saddams, if not more. The rise and rise of Isis and terrorism can, without exaggeration, be traced back to that mistaken war.
But hey, the Chilcot report is out and it explains everything and it says Tony and Co. were naughty, and lessons must be learned for the future - what more do you want?
Here's what I want:
I want Tony Blair to get down on his knees.
I want him to beg...BEG...forgiveness from the families he has bereaved (all of them, including Iraquis).
I want Blair to donate all the money he's been paid for his speaking tours after the Iraq war to all the broken lives, the refugees, the devastated homes which he and Bush are directly responsible for.
I don't want him to be sent to prison for war crimes:
I want him to be sent to Iraq, to live there for at least seven years. in the same conditions as the ordinary people now struggle to live.
I want the ten million pounds which was paid to the Chilcot report to be refunded and then donated to the care of the injured soldiers who returned from that war.
I'm being emotional, naive, unrealistic. Emotion shouldn't affect one's judgement, right?
Well, unless compassion and empathy enter politics and into decisons which will affect millions of people for generations to come, there's no hope for us humans.
6 comments:
From your perspective in the UK that seems entirely reasonable. From mine, here in the US, it's not enough.
I want George Bush and Dick Cheney hauled to The Hague and stand before the world court, charged with war crimes.
I want the population here that now are saying 'no' to immigration to be made to understand how the plight of the refugees from Syria and the Middle East can be laid directly at our feet.
I think the chances of my wishes happening are about the same as yours.
Cheers,
Mike
I agree with Mike. And my feeling is that none of this will happen. Bush et al will go on with their lives as if they had done nothing wrong.
Mike and knittergran, I wholly agree. Yes, make Bush (and Co.) and Blair (and Co.) stand before a world court but the only punishment that would be relevant would be to sentence them to live with some of the people whose lives they've destroyed and put up with the conditions those people now live in, or die in when they're blown up by fanatics, the poisonous fruits which grew out of the blood and ashes left behind after the Iraq invasion.
It was all a mistake! A huge, gigantic, unforgivable, infuriating never to be forgiven mistake!
A mistake based on lies. And Bush, celebrating his 70th birthday today with a bike ride with veterans, is still smiling.
Hattie, and Bruce: from the evidence which is gradually coming to light, it seems that this 'mistake' was carefully orchestrated and determined to happen, regardless of opposition, but with no concern or foresight whatsoever about its consequences. A crime, in other words.
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