Dead soldier’s father blames Blair for Iraq war

London, July 14: The father of the youngest British soldier to die in Iraq launched a withering attack on PM Tony Blair on Monday, saying he sent his son to an unjustified death.

Andrew Kelly, of the British Army’s Crack Parachute Regiment, died in a shooting accident at an army base in southern Iraq on May 6, just weeks after his 18th birthday. His father Robert Kelly wrote to Blair on Monday in the most personal criticism yet at his decision to take Britain to war.

‘‘My son died because the wrong decision was made,’’ he said. ‘‘If we hadn’t declared war, my son would be alive today. If my son had died fighting a war because someone threatened our country I would still feel proud of him and my PM.’’

Robert Kelly served with the Royal Navy for 24 years and is a veteran of the 1982 Falklands conflict when Britain reclaimed the South Atlantic Islands from Argentina.

Kelly said in the letter that he was struggling to come to terms with his son’s death, which the Defence Ministry said was caused by a weapon accidentally being fired.

‘‘I cannot begin to explain to you how I feel about the loss of my son, nor do I believe you care or would understand,’’ Kelly’s letter reads. ‘‘I hold you personally responsible for my son’s death as well as the other servicemen killed.’’ (Reuters)

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