Chilcott - the non-event

The Chilcott Enquiry has been rumbling on for a while now. I have found it interesting, but not revealing. It has gone over - yet again - material that has been done to death by two earlier enquiries and endless debates. What surprises me is that anyone at all is surprised by any of the revelations that have emerged. I’m surprised by all the surprise.

So it seems that Tony Blair committed to disarming Iraq by any means necessary. If it couldn’t be done peacefully it would be done by force. Further, it seems that he supported Bush’s plan for regime change regardless of the WMD contortions at the UN. The UN was to be used to try and secure a resolution authorising war, but if it wouldn’t acquiesce the invasion was always going to go ahead anyway.

So? Tell us something we don’t know. Of course regime change was the goal. It was obvious to me from 2002.. It was plain as the nose on your face that the Bush administration wanted to remove him, by hook or by crook, and that WMD was used a convenient lever to try and bring world opinion, or at least the UN, onside. Saddam Hussein was a tyrant and his removal has done the whole world a favour. Check the record. He killed enough people to warrant removal.

Yes politicians probably did lie, or at least bend the truth, to accomplish this. You mean this is a surprise to you? I hope not, because if it is you are either very naïve or have been living on the dark side of the moon all your life. Politicians are never transparent.

Iraq is a democracy, all groups and parties are represented there and the country is getting back on its feet. I support Iraqi people and every opinion poll that’s ever been taken there shows that they supported the war and supported their process of elections. Then they wanted an end to occupation, so we left. They now have a democratically elected government and will soon be selling their oil by the oil-tanker load. They will do fine by themselves. In fact in a few years I look forward to visiting their ancient culture as a tourist. I wish them well. The war has done them a favour, and they’re intelligent enough to know it. End of.