Archbishop Desmond Tutu has pulled out of an international summit, because he doesn't want to share a platform with the "morally indefensible" Tony Blair it emerged yesterday.Archbishop Tutu is correct that the invasion of Iraq was illegal and based on false information. A full explanation by the archbishop for his withdrawal may be found at the Guardian.
The retired archbishop, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his campaigning against apartheid, said that he had withdrawn from the event because he believed the former Prime Minister had supported the invasion of Iraq "on the basis of unproven allegations of the existence of weapons of mass destruction."
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Archbishop Tutu has long been a critic of Mr Blair's stance on Iraq – even before the invasion.
In 2003 the archbishop said Mr Blair's support for the Bush administration was "mind-boggling". "I have a great deal of time for your Prime Minister, but I'm shocked to see a powerful country use its power frequently, unilaterally," he said.
If leaders may lie, then who should tell the truth? Days before George W Bush and Tony Blair ordered the invasion of Iraq, I called the White House and spoke to Condoleezza Rice, who was then national security adviser, to urge that United Nations weapons inspectors be given more time to confirm or deny the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Should they be able to confirm finding such weapons, I argued, dismantling the threat would have the support of virtually the entire world. Ms Rice demurred, saying there was too much risk and the president would not postpone any longer.The weapons inspectors from the UN had nearly completed their work and asked for a short delay in order to finish, but their request was refused. They were close to a conclusion that Iraq had no WMD, and it's possible that Bush and Blair rushed the invasion, in part, to avoid the disclosure from being made public. The two leaders were determined to bring down Saddam, WMD or no. The inspectors had to rush out of Iraq in order not to be caught in the invasion.
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On these grounds alone, in a consistent world, those responsible for this suffering and loss of life should be treading the same path as some of their African and Asian peers who have been made to answer for their actions in the Hague.
I won't ever forget observing the process with horror, aghast that Blair would go along with Bush and crew in the madness. There was an air of inevitability about the coming invasion, and it was plain that no new information would get in the way.
H/T to Juan Cole at Informed Comment.
WOUNDED BIRD......
ReplyDeleteAre you an OWLor RAVEN?
Are you a CROW or a HERENZZ ?
See we got problems with BILLY BOO 222 and SAHARA RED 22 and ROBERTA- STAN.
And it has to do with MANN.
And it has to do with STING of BUSY BEES-SYRIA.
And even GESSIS getting suspicious of KKK and FAMIT.
SCHAR no longer plays GUITAR.
And HEATU no longer wears ROOTS with NYE.
Anonymous, make up a name and sign your comment, and I may spend more time trying to work out what you're talking about.
DeleteI'll also never forget when I realized that the invasion would take place no matter what. As awful as that was, it was the last straw for my husband, who finally quit being a Republican.
ReplyDeleteBex, that was a terrible time, wasn't it? Some of the bloggers had accurate information, as did some in the press. The articles that highlighted the lack of evidence for WMD were placed on the inside pages, while Judith Miller's pieces with information from her lying source were on the front page of the NYT. And what the Bush maladministration did to Joe and Valerie Wilson was beyond despicable.
DeleteFrom this side of the pond I can't decide what was more sickening; the death of Dr David Kelly, or the inquiry into his death refusing to implicate Tony B.Liar.
DeleteAs a Briton and lifelong Labour supporter, I was never more ashamed of both my country and my political affiliation than when that pair of dirty B's decided that their pension funds, and those of their oil industry chums, trumped international law. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than seeing the world's most prolific international terrorists tried for their crimes. Space in Guantanamo for two more?
AofS, the death of David Kelly and the sorry inquiry were disgraceful. The leaders of both countries yielded to their baser instincts and then had to move into self-protective mode.
DeleteAfter the invasion, it took my breath away to see how quickly Bush and Cheney's crony companies, such as Halliburton, the Shaw Group, and Blackwater, moved into Iraq.
I'm sure there's always room for a few more at Guantanamo.
I cut off anonymous comments to my blog. If you can't sign it I don't want to read it. That said I admire Bishop Tutu immensely and thank you for posting this thoughtful post.
ReplyDeleteJay, you are quite welcome. The anonymous comments annoy me quite a bit in and of themselves, but occasionally something of interest comes through from a commenter who is not aware of my rule. I give anonymous one chance to sign, and then I delete further comments without a signature.
DeleteGrandmére, I remember distinctly the day the Bush Administration announced its plan to invade Iraq. Sans evidence, sans rationality, sans sensitivity to the cost of war, solely in service to a vision of remaking the Middle East in our corporate-driven image. Republicans today remain in thrall to this cabal of corruption. God help us find the candidates, support systems and funds to counter this satanic movement.
ReplyDeleteAnd a sad day it was, Pfalz prophet. I think of all the dead and wounded Iraqis and coalition forces, and the violence in Iraq continues.
Delete