Iraq War

At first I supported the War on Iraq. My government and intelligence agencies were telling me Iraq was dangerous and posed a world wide threat. Apparently Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction and could deploy them in 45 minutes according to a dossier compiled by the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). Also Iraq had links with al-Qaeda and a hot bed for terrorist activity and training.

Despite not having the backing of the UN, so convinced were we that the UK followed the US to war on Iraq. The war was further sold to the public, as a war to liberate Iraq from the evil dictator Saddam Hussain. Fair enough from all reports he was a bit of a nutter with a terrible reputation of harming his people. But the world is full of evil dictators - why this one?

At first the war went well. US and UK troops sped through Iraq to Bagdad capturing the country. But this rather than being the end, was the beginning. Suddenly the Iraq people were no so grateful to be liberated. Sure they were pleased Saddam had gone, but they were none to please to have Westerners controlling the country.

Then the killings started. Not only US and UK troops were targeted by insurgents, but also support staff and aid workers. In one particular nasty incident four contractors working for the US army have been killed and their bodies mutilated in the Iraqi city of Falluja. The group were shot and burnt in their cars, before a cheering crowd dismembered the corpses and hung two of them from a bridge. Apparently this was a direct revenge attack for US troops abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail near Baghdad. Its hard to align with this view, sure prisoners were mistreated, but nothing that happened at Abu Ghraib prison justifies this.

While the unrest and insurgents increase in Iraq reasons for the war have come under the spot light. No Weapons of Mass Destruction have been found. The 45 Minute claim by the UK government was found to have been sex-ed up to sway public opinion. The whole foundation for going to war is looking very shakey. Some have called the war illegal. But how can a war be illegal? I doubt Hitler worried that invading Poland was illegal!

Forget the legality, the question is, was it morally right to invade Iraq? Tony Blair himself is unrepentant, and has shifted the focus of the reasons of going to war to that of removing Saddam Hussain. Whilst I agree he should be removed, is it the UKs role to remove him? Judging by all the continued killing the Iraqi people do not appear to be grateful.

Given all the facts that came to light after the war I do not now support the war. I was mislead by politicians, and had I known how fragile the facts were I would have given Hans Blix more time. So where does this leave us? My view is we pullout and leave Iraq to the Iraqis. It is clear they do not want us there. Maybe we should hand back Saddam, it seems that only a ruler of Saddam's power can rule this chaotic country.

Granted if we pull out now, we leave Iraq in a worse condition than when US and UK troops entered. Maybe we write off Iraqi debts as compensation for all the Infrastructure we destroyed and all the civilian Iraq collateral lives that were lost? We should not stay in Iraq but with draw at the earliest moment.

Tony Blair has been exposed as a lying war monger who should not be re-elected. Unfortunately President Bush has been re-elected by the US, a truly worrying turn of events.