Ex-UK Premier Blair to testify on Iraq war Jan. 29

Source: ap

LONDON – Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will give his highly anticipated testimony to an inquiry into the Iraq war next week, the panel said Monday.

Blair, whose popularity suffered because of his decision to back the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, will face several hours of questioning at the five-person tribunal Jan. 29.

The inquiry was commissioned by Blair's successor, Gordon Brown, to examine the case made to Parliament and the public to join the war, along with errors in planning for postwar reconstruction.

Blair is likely to be questioned about his government's use of intelligence that was later found to be flawed, and about accusations that he offered President George W. Bush support for an invasion as early as April 2002 — a year before legislators approved Britain's involvement.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100118/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_iraq_inquiry

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"The inquiry won't apportion blame or establish criminal or civil liability, but will offer recommendations on how to prevent errors in future conflicts."
(same source)

of course...

The day we start hanging war criminals, regardless of their past lofty positions, is the day that we begin to prevent future debacles.

just like his new best friend Junior Bush.

Will he be under oath, like a witness in the USA?

Or will he be able to take Cheney with him and not have to testify under oath, like GWB did with the 9-11 Commission?

-90% Jimmy

Source: WSJ

Blair to Face Inquiry Into Iraq War

By CASSELL BRYAN-LOW

LONDON—Tony Blair will undergo a public grilling this week over the U.K.'s role in the Iraq war, raising questions about the former prime minister's legacy and his value to the Labour Party he once led as it prepares for a tough election battle.

In a much-anticipated appearance on Jan. 29 before a five-member panel investigating the war, Mr. Blair is expected to face questions about the legitimacy—and even legality—of the U.K.'s involvement in Iraq. He will be confronted about whether he committed to overthrow Saddam Hussein long before the immediate run-up to the war, and quizzed about criticisms of the U.K's preparedness for the invasion and its minimal influence over U.S. allies.

The spotlight on Iraq is the latest in a series of dents Mr. Blair's reputation has sustained since leaving office in 2007 after a 10-year run. One of modern Britain's most influential and popular politicians, he led the seemingly unelectable Labour Party to power in 1997.

Now, however, the war and Britain's deep recession have soured voters on the Labour regime.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703822404575019191176893752.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

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From The Times
January 25, 2010
Blair’s appearance at Iraq inquiry to spark mass anti-war protest

David Brown and Adam Fresco

Thousands of anti-war campaigners are preparing for Tony Blair’s appearance at the Iraq inquiry in what could be the biggest political demonstration since last year’s G20 protests.

<snip>

Political leaders from many of the 43 nations involved in the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan are expected to attend, including Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, and Ban Ki Moon, the United Nations Secretary-General.

However the focus of the week’s demonstrations is expected to be Mr Blair’s appearance before Sir John Chilcot’s committee. The Stop the War Coalition says that protesters are preparing to travel from across the country.

More than 3,000 people applied for 40 public places in the room where the former Prime Minister will be questioned by the five-member panel. The inquiry is allowing a further 1,400 people into a public viewing room to watch either the morning and afternoon sessions on giant screens.

<snip>

Relatives of some of the 179 British servicemen and woman who died in Iraq will join the demonstration, including Rose Gentle, who failed to get a ticket in a ballot for places in the inquiry room.

Mr Blair’s appearance could be the last chance for a major demonstration against the invasion and six-year occupation of Iraq. An anti-war march in February 2003, a month before the invasion, was described by police as the UK’s biggest demonstration with at least 750,000 taking part; organisers put the figure closer to two million.

<more>

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7000698.ece

1. He'll say that the intelligence presented to him prior to the war appeared 100% authentic. Any failure was not his, it was a failure in the trustworthiness of the evidence (which we all know was faked).

2. Next he'll say that we did actually find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq! Like those 30 year old, empty gas bomb containers that we gave to Saddam back in the 80's.