Foreign Affairs

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Mon Jun 16, 2014, 06:35 AM Jun 2014

Tony Blair: The West must intervene in Iraq

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/15/tony-blair-the-west-must-intervene-in-iraq/

Ex-PM says allies should consider military options short of sending troops after denying 2003 invasion led to Isis crisis

Tony Blair: The West must intervene in Iraq
By Patrick Wintour, The Guardian
Sunday, June 15, 2014 7:47 EDT

Tony Blair has urged western governments to recognise that it needs to take an active role in the Middle East, saying the west should consider military options short of sending ground troops.

The former prime minister said there was a huge range of options available, including air strikes and drones as used in Libya.

Blair was speaking on UK morning TV shows after writing a lengthy essay setting out how to respond to the Iraq crisis, including his belief that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was not the cause of the country’s implosion.

He said: “It is in our interests for this jihadist extremist group to be stopped in its tracks. I understand entirely why people say ‘it is nothing to do with us and I don’t want to hear about it’.

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Go for it Tony. I'm sure the British people want to 'win' Afghanistan, round 4.

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Tony Blair: The West must intervene in Iraq (Original Post) unhappycamper Jun 2014 OP

No UK military intervention in Iraq conflict says Hague dipsydoodle Jun 2014 #1

I have an idea - we round up Blair, Bush, Cheney, Rice and Rummy and send them liberal N proud Jun 2014 #2

Since this is, in part, his doing, it seems fitting that he and the others responsible Live and Learn Jun 2014 #3

Like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice ... GeorgeGist Jun 2014 #4

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)

1. No UK military intervention in Iraq conflict says Hague

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 06:40 AM

Jun 2014

The UK will not intervene militarily to help Iraq fight Islamist insurgents, William Hague has insisted.

Asked whether the UK could participate in air strikes, the foreign secretary told the BBC that he "could not be clearer" that this would not happen.

It was up to the Iraqi authorities to stabilise the situation and then try to reconcile different factions.

The US was "more likely to have the assets and capability than the UK" to get involved, he added.

Mr Hague is to make a statement to Parliament later on Monday on events in Iraq after recent territorial advances by Sunni militants

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27865849