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.

Grimbletart - spot-on 'oozing insincerity*
Astonished me how anyone was taken in by him - I remember walking to work, in tears, the day in 1997 when he was elected. And it was obvious to anyone the Iraq invasion was a massive ego trip for him and his buddy George.

Yes, it's impossible to know if we have made the situation in the Middle East any better or worse, from the Balfour agreement onwards, really.

But it's really important we don't make it any WORSE now.

Meditrina's post is really insightful.

If we go charging into someone else's country (again) especially if they cannot agree who is in charge, we will probably be in for another decade of bloodshed and hatred and the flare up of 'terrorist' activity in our own country too.

I know it is awful when the world 'sits back' like in Rwanda for example, but I don't see the benefit, to anyone, of us becoming further involved in this situation.

merry whether there would have been unrest in the middle east or not without the war is irrelevant really...no-one can argue that the war didn't do untold amounts of damage in the region and also in the West and has put us in a weaker position to help civilians caught in the cross fire...
Without a doubt the war strengthened anti western feeling - even with the shiite's.
How dare we invade another country with the aim of changing their ruling body....did we learn nothing from Imperalism.

Tantamount to China and Russia invading the UK and destroying parliament because they disagree with the way it operates.
History has shown us that if pushed enough the general populace will rise up and overthrown governments/dictators....Iraqi people were at a disadvantage because the West had strengthened Sadam's position when it suited them.

Which makes the whole thing even worse - it just showed that the West can change allegiance when it suits them - we can't be trusted - and we really shouldn't interfere apart from humanitarian aid/protecting civilians...
(And most of the problems in middle east are due to our meddling after WW2 anyway)

My thanks to those who have been complimentary about what I posted.

But I have to point out that I was précis-ing what Rosemary Hollis said in an interview today, and all credit for any insight goes to her (and any misrepresentation is mine).

that was honest, meditrina! I would have been tempted to claim the erudition!

Thanks for putting it up here though as I might not have come across it anyway

YABU because Tony Blair isn't in elected office anymore. Thus Blair's opinions aren't important and Boris Johnson's views on Blair's opinions are even less important.

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

Trying to stop him from doing what? He isn't PM anymore. He doesn't have any power over the military.

Leo is still school age - did you mean Euan?

Wasn't Boris in Parliament when the war vote took place?

ForalltheSaints and all who have said that all the MPs were to blame for supporting the war.

Remember that the Bush/Blair dossier was cooked up specifically in order to persuade Parliament to agree to the Iraq war.

We know now that it was a bunch of lies, but at the time Blair still have some credibility and a majority of MPs believed it.

It's easy to blame them all, but they weren't all in on the conspiracy.

Before he died (I can post this now) William Rees Mogg told me that shortly after entering office Tony Blair nearly had a nervous breakdown. Apparently it was common knowledge in the 'in crowd' and everyone was surprised when he hung on.

I guess that's what Boris meant about 'finally going mad'.

They voted for it with false information though. I loathe Blair but he is telling the truth when he says if things aren't stopped in Syria and Iraq we will feel the results of that. And in his mind he thinks going back and finishing what they started is the solution and it would probably delay the inevitable but not stop it.

EurotrashGirl

Yy, I realise TB not PM any more and no power to 'order troops in' but he sure is sabre-rattling and I don't think it is helpful.

Corygal - that's interesting.
Did WRM elucidate why he thought the reasons were (apart from general stress of the job?)

Ah. I do remember one of his kids was very publicly drunk at a young age or something quite embarrassing?

The Lib Dems voted against the war in Iraq, didn't they? If they had stayed out if the bloody coalition they might have something people wanted to listen to right now.

I think that Blair is deluded. He really believes the crap that he spouts.
The man needs to get a grip

I watched that report. I dont know a lot but my intial thoughts were the west went in a created this vacuum and now its all fucked up and we should take responsility for it - Im not sure how. BUT I did think Blair was fucking nuts for suggesting to go back in as it were.

Sorry for a lack of eloquence but I struggle with politics. It seems all smoke and mirrors to me.

I think the general problem is the neoconservatives (look up PNAC and 'Rebuilding America's Defenses' published in September 2000 for a general list of names associated with that movement) and their protegees (eg Bush, Blair) feel that the failures of the war were not due to unsound policies but because their obstinate, impoverished populace could not be sufficiently persuaded to send themselves, brothers or sons to die for the cause. They had delusions of grandeur that they had sufficient demographic clout to bring (nuke?) those pesky Arabs into submission. Sadly, due to past wars and ongoing effects related to that - eg massive economic inequalities, that is not the case.

Funny old world. The Lib Dems are being crucified for being in the coalition and will be the scapegoats with an appalling result at the general election next year (if the polls are to be believed) with plenty of voters sticking to the Tories and Labour and yet the Lib Dems were the only ones who were right about Iraq.

I think Blair is really terrified about how he'll go down in history and is trying to grasp at straws of redemption. Middle East peace envoy my arse. Can't stand him.
I hope the history books will show him for the evil warmongering bastard he is.

Precious

• that's what SO disappointed me about Blair's government. Those who were disaffected with Mrs Thatcher's government were SO hopeful and ready to believe and invested in change and hope etc etc and he just pissed it all up against the wall. Dreadfully sad and wasteful.

areyoubeingserviced and ThePowerofMe

Yes, Blair MUST have convinced himself that he is 'OK' - a bit like an alcohol or drug dependent person in denial as otherwise the enormity of his actions would be too much to bear. He is in so deep, morally, that he cannot get out. I would not be him for the world.