Thatcher reveals her doubts over basis for Iraq war

Baroness Thatcher has criticised Tony Blair for taking Britain to war in Iraq on the basis of flawed evidence about Saddam Hussein's weapons. The former prime minister's embarrassing criticism emerged as Mr Blair was among the 670 guests who attended a party to mark her 80th birthday. Although Lady Thatcher remains a strong supporter of the decision to topple Saddam by invading Iraq, it is the first time she has questioned the basis for the war. Yesterday's Washington Post reported that when asked whether she would have invaded Iraq given the intelligence at the time, Lady Thatcher replied: "I was a scientist before I was a politician. And as a scientist I know you need facts, evidence and proof - and then you check, recheck and check again."

She added: "The fact was that there were no facts, there was no evidence, and there was no proof. As a politician the most serious decision you can take is to commit your armed services to war from which they may not return." The article was written by the journalist Tina Brown, who said she had been told Lady

Thatcher's view by Lord Palumbo, the former chairman of the Arts Council, who asked the former prime minister about Iraq when he had lunch with her six months ago. Lord Palumbo was also among the guests at last night's party at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel near Hyde Park, London. The guest list, which was headed by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, included many former members of Lady Thatcher's cabinets as well as prominent figures from industry, arts, showbusiness and the media.

Lady Thatcher's office did not dispute her reported remarks but said she had been - and remained - in full support of the decision to oust Saddam by military means, which she always believed would be the only way to remove him. Aides said she wished that had been achieved by the first Gulf War, prompted by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, which took place shortly after she was forced to resign as Prime Minister after losing the confidence of her cabinet.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article319542.ece

Your timing is impeccable, as always.

Three years ago she'd have been 77 and would not have been in any hurry to be a millstone around the neck of the sitting Conservative leader of the day, who supported the war. Let's at least comprehend HER actions. As they do not and never would let Blair off the hook. Blair's running the place, not Thatcher.

Blair isn't in the Liberal party either; he "leads" the Labour party.

The original comment was correct as Thatcher still commands a *lot*
of power in the Conservative world and would not have wanted to appear
to undermine the sitting leader of the Conservative party at that time
by going 180 degrees from his stated policy.

HTH.

There is also the point of view that Blair is Thatcher's real heir. Certainly he is the leader that the Conservative party are looking for, and if he crossed the floor it would solve the problems of two parties, Labour and Conservative.

Since when did Mrs T give a flying fuck about undermining her former colleagues?

including B & B. How should a parent feel that lost their child in Iraq


How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?

to help you Konservative volken take the parliament in 2009. That is all.
She is scum.

to "smear" Labour - they seem capable of losing the next election on their own if they carry on with the way they're going: Bliar, ID Cards, anti-terror laws, etc

to get your hair coiffed at the auto-body shop, and you musn't be late!

from Britain, I think. They used to savage Thatcher good. One sketch I remember they had Thatcher enter a men's bathroom and pull up to a men's urinal to take a leak.

Steve Nallon, which was a lot of fun, coz he still had the magic. Was doing the voice a lot, even tried his hand at some Ann Widdicombe impersonations :D

the Thatcher sketches.



Wikipedia has a couple of the oft-repeated best:

The Thatcher cabinet are sitting in a restaurant. The waiter asks Margaret Thatcher for her order and she replies "Raw Meat". The waiter then asks "And for the vegetables?" to which Thatcher replies "Oh, they'll have the same".

Geoffrey Howe and Leon Brittan are standing at the men's urinal in a single sex toilet and Margaret Thatcher walks in and goes to the toilet next to them standing up. After she leaves Howe turns to Brittan and confides 'I can never go when she's in here'.

Margaret Thatcher walks into a hairdresser's. She sits down in the chair and says to the hairdresser, "Just cut it in a style that will be universally popular." The man replies, "Yes madam", and decapitates Thatcher with a bit of hairdressing equipment.

As pressure on Thatcher to resign grew in 1989, in one sketch the House of Commons bursts into a rendition of "Go Now" by The Moody Blues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitting_Image

There was talk a year or so back of reviving the show, but that seems to have peetered out.

i've been watching a lot of old Spitting Image eps lately, we could use something like that now. Great voice talents on there, Rimmer from Red Dwarf, a young Steve Coogan, etc etc.

and under international law.

So...you're saying you agree with VIOLATING UK LAW? That was one of the many problems Brits had with you, wasn't it.

Seems to be becoming a real pain with national leaders these days
doesn't it? Thatcher, Bush, Blair, ...

out of both sides of her mouth.

Putting the lives of our brave soldiers in danger. Say it ain't so, Maggie.

how can you be a strong supporter of the decision to topple saddam BY INVADING IRAQ, AND criticize blair for taking Britain to war in Iraq?

She's having it both ways.

If she's such a strong supporter, why doesn't she get her "Iron" ass over to Iraq and go to the frontlines. I hate these pro-war cowards.

a day late and 2000 soldiers, and countless iraqi civilians short.

She was a pig then she's a pig now.

recently shared by a UK professor.

Before Thatcher become a politician, she was a food scientist with J. Lyons food company. one of her few achievements with the firm was a breakthrough in ice "cream" making. She worked on ways to whip up the edible oils, injecting more air to look like a larger tub of dessert. She was able to help the company get consumers to pay more while actually getting less.

it was a philosophy whe brought with her into the PMs office.

Maybe we need a jumping rat tally.

Wish she had been willing to come out and make these criticisms sooner. I guess it's the same deal with Clinton here though, you try and give the current leader a lot of leeway.

She's an old sow that belongs in jail too.

When that murderous bitch doesn't like a war, you know there's something wrong with it. ;-)

Serves you right, Tony, you ass.

The last time I saw you on TV was in that shitty Genesis video with the puppets about 15 years ago.

Just another conservative asshole, even if she is on the right side here.