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Inquiry Into Iraq 'in due course'

Posted February 22nd, 2007 by Tom
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Jack 'Man of' Straw has apparently announced that there'll be an inquiry into the Iraq War 'at the appropriate time'. Blair is on board with this, although he wasn't last week and the wrong time to have an inquiry is 'while the troops are out there' as it will 'send the wrong message'. Judging by ARRSE, the message the troops have got - 'we expect you to fight for a lie without adequate equipment' - hasn't exactly done wonders for their view of Mr. Blair. I'm sure big, tough, cynical British squaddies aren't squeamish about Parliament having an inquiry into what they know is a crock of shit. Mr. Straw must have rather a low opinion of them, which is just one reason I have rather a low opinion of Mr. Straw.

Of course, the right time for an inquiry, from Tony Blair's point of view, is about a nano-second after his private jet leaves UK airspace, heading west.

BBC

Now, wasn't there a case

On February 22nd, 2007 beachhutman (not verified) says:

Now, wasn't there a case quite a while back when returning soldiers voted out the government that had sent them to war?

Blair's claim that "we did

On February 22nd, 2007 Anonymous (not verified) says:

Blair's claim that "we did not create Al Quida" is of course historically incorrect. Even Robin Cook acknowledged that the US created Al Quida to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.

"is about a nano-second

On February 22nd, 2007 Freda (not verified) says:

"is about a nano-second after his private jet leaves UK airspace, heading west"

Unless Yates of the Yard arrests Blair before then. That's all he has to do to scupper Blair's plans, Uncle George having got so jittery about 'tourists' that he cancels the visa waiver for anyone with a police record, even if they were innocent or never charged. Would be poetic justice for the Beloved Leader, I feel.

There was a petition about

On February 23rd, 2007 Davide Simonetti says:

There was a petition about this on the Downing Street website which expired on 15 February.

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Launch an independent public enquiry into the decision making process which lead to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Downing Street has posted a response on its website which reads:

There have been four independent enquiries into the events leading up to the 2003 military action in Iraq. Two public enquiries were held; the Hutton inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr. David Kelly CMG, and the Butler review of intelligence on weapons of mass destruction. The Government has also commissioned two Parliamentary Committee reports on Iraq: the Foreign Affairs Committee report [.pdf], "The Decision to go to War in Iraq", and the Intelligence and Security Committee report [.pdf], "Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction-Intelligence and Assessments". Agree there may be important lessons to learn but a further enquiry would not be appropriate whilst our troops are engaged in a combat situation in Iraq.

Okay, so Blair isn't saying anything vastly different from Jack Straw or from what he's been saying all along (wrong though he is because the Hutton whitewash and the Butler report had such narrow remits), but after getting yet another e-mail from the Prime Minister explaining why yet another petition will be dismissed, I'd really like to ask him if there are any circumstances at all where a petition on the Downing Street website might actually make him change his mind over an issue and if not then what the point is in having that service.

"...'at the appropriate

On February 23rd, 2007 Tom Welsh says:

"...'at the appropriate time'."

i.e. as soon as I've retired.