to praise Boris Johnson

[Sallyingforth]

for his comments on Tony Blair who wants us to go to war again in Iraq.

Writing in his weekly column, the Mayor of London said he has "come to the conclusion that Tony Blair has finally gone mad".

"The Iraq war was a tragic mistake; and by refusing to accept this, Blair is now undermining the very cause he advocates"

"I can understand that he feels very, very shattered and guilty... but my general message would be to put a sock in it really. Paper bag on head time is my advice"

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27864603

We lost many brave troops - and a scientist who died under very suspicious circumstances - and now Blair wants to do it again.

Boris just says whatever he thinks the majority of the voting public want to hear, just like all politicians who have elections coming up do.

Yabvu.

I generally like Boris but the Tories backed the original war with Iraq. Now they're all distancing themselves from it as it was a spectacular failure and a general election is looming.

Many who believed the then Government had good evidence (before the dossier was known to be dodgy) and did not have the information available to them that the post-conflict planning was totally inadequate have said they would not have voted as they did. I don't know how far that applies to Boris, but it's a valid position.

I was astonished by Blair's comments this weekend. There is absolutely no basis to say that if different decisions had been made in 2003 then the situation would be worse now. There is no way to go back and see what could have happened, and I think Blair's self-serving statements are unhelpful.

Boris just says whatever he thinks the majority of the voting public want to hear

I agree. But the point is that he's voicing it clearly. I'd like to tell Blair to shut up, but he won't listen to me.

YABU

Boris voted for the war in 2003 so is being hypocritical criticising it now. It is easy to be wise in retrospect.

It is easy to be wise in retrospect.

But Blair isn't. He's campaigning to do it again.
That's why it's important to shut him up.

Blair is more concerned about his legacy than the people in Iraq. Boris does not need to worry about this so is free to criticise and get away with being a hypocrite in retrospect.

In fairness Boris is right, and this is all about Blair's Megalomania. I could have told you that 5 years ago though.

It's a bit pot/kettle isn't it for Boris to comment on anyone's state of mind.

I struggle with 'The war in Iraq was a tragic mistake'
It wasn't a tragic mistake. That implies it happened by accident rather than the fact that politicians (including Boris) voted for a particular course of action. A course of action that many people could see would cost lives and leave the area destabilised. And it was a course of action that was heavily criticised and that mobilised lots of people to march in protest against it so it's not as though it wasn't a contentious course of action at the time.

Blair is very wrong on this, but as others have said further up the thread the Tories fully backed him at the time. I think it was only a few lib dems who actually opposed the war at the time.

So Boris voted for the war but now accepts he was wrong. Better than not accepting it.

I'm not making excuses for anyone who supported the war at the time. They were unwise enough to trust the lies in the Bush/Blair dossier, so they must share the blame.

The vital thing now is to ensure that the discredited Blair has no further influence in the Middle East, or anywhere else for that matter. For that reason I applaud what Boris Johnson has said.

The delay in publishing the Chilcot Enquiry because of 200 redactions concerning meetings Blair held with Bush supports the strong suspicion that Blair and his staff deliberately concealed from Parliament, his party and the people his reasons for Britain's involvement in the war with Iraq.
His speech yesterday was yet another demonstration of his continuing arrogance and self-satisfaction, it is heartening that the general opinion today in the media seems to be one of utter contempt for his war- mongering. One wonders what financial gain there is in it for him.

Blair is in complete denial that the present civil war in Iraq has anything to do with him and Bush.

Boris is correct. Blair is completely mad.

At least when Thatcher went mad she didn't keep going on about stuff. Even Bush knows to keep his mouth shut.

I mean... A middle East Peace Invoy ???? The hypocrisy is stunning. He won't be able to keep shoving himself where it's not wanted becuase he keeps embarrassing himself and this country.

I don't think Boris should be praised at all for saying what will play well with voters! That kind of cynical hypocritical bullshit is just about what we've come to expect, and he is clearly trotting this out now to get people on side before he begins his journey to Tory leadership.

I think if people don't realise just how calculating and power hungry Boris is because he has funny hair and says funny things, we're in deep deep shit.

Thank god I can vote YES in September!

Is it Iraq where people have been taken to the desert and shot?

What should we do to stop this? Blair may be wrong but what's the alternative?

why the praise

he is dumbing down a very very serious argument to appeal voters

Surely Boris can argue back in a more intelligent and less hypercritical way but this would not fit it with his contrived persona to gain support for his leadership challenge that will happen one day soon

I agree, Squid.

Boris may not be 'Mr Integrity'
but Blair is quite quite capable of trying to meddle further in the hideous situation HE helped create in the name of 'his place in history' (which will be as a war criminal anyway).

If the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results, then Blair IS mad.

It's truly sickening

Mr Blair must not have enough blood on his hands.

I don't care WHY Boris is trying to stop Blair, tbh, I am just glad he is.

Blair wont listen to you and me, he might be stopped (or slowed down) if Boris raises enough of a stink????

For all his supposed "knowledge" of the Middle East, Tony Blair is woefully ignorant of the culture. There are so many different parties to the civil unrest, each with their own agenda in relation to the uprisings and, crucially, in relation to each other.

Meddling by the west, especially in the form of invasion, has never been anything but an utter disaster. It's a bit like if aliens from another planet with no understanding of human nature had tried to meddle in the American War of Independence, or the French Revolution. Completely counterproductive.

Not saying the Middle East is like either of those, but that is the point. The culture is so completely different, we should NOT be invading and trying to impose our structure. It just won't work.

Of course Blair wants to go into Iraq again, using other peoples money and other peoples children (soldiers) to kill other peoples children (Iraqis).

Perhaps if he wants it so bad, he should go himself and put his children in the front line so that others don't have to die so that he can make millions from his blood lust.

What HIDEOUS awful charlatan Dictator that man is, the patronising speech, Listen - hand gesture...that sort of Nick Clegg stutter of disbelief that he has to even utter the words he is about too, as no one gets it....

Agree Vitaminz, why doesnt he don his army uniform and get stuck in, with his family, I feel like this about lots of his hideous wicked policies.

What a wicked man

Blair needs to understand that he has lost his voice. His is not viewed in anyway competent to comment on international affairs. He has lost his credibility (a lot better than losing his life) and needs to step aside.

The media only give him column space because they know it will be controversial, not because he is seen as offering insightful opinions or commentary.

Mr Blair must not have enough blood on his hands.

Blair believes that if he can get enough others to join in and particularly bathe in the stuff then he'll end up looking in the right. Part of me wants him to shut up but another part of me is hopeful that the more he warmongers, the more distaste of him will increase.