TONY: the jig is up; there were no WMDs!!!!!!!!

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

WASHINGTON (AP) — British Prime Minister Tony Blair told Congress Thursday he believes “with every fiber of instinct and conviction” that the U.S. and British led war on Iraq was justified — and that history will forgive them if weapons allegations used as justification were wrong.
“We promised Iraq democratic government. We will deliver it,” he said.
In prepared remarks for an address to a joint House-Senate meeting, the prime minister suggested that history will forgive the toppling of Saddam Hussein's government even if it turns out that Blair and President Bush were wrong about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.
To have hesitated “in the face of this menace when we should have given leadership ... that is something that history will not forgive,” Blair said.


But if there were no WMDs, what menace, internationally speaking, is he talking about?

[DODI]

1. What!

What about pre-emption, credibility, thousands of people killed. I don't see history forgiving this one. Does sound like he is backing down? Where will it go from here!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Democratic Govt. was reason #20.

"What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"

[dfong63]

3. leadership != lying

To have hesitated “in the face of this menace when we should have given leadership ... that is something that history will not forgive,” Blair said.

news flash, tony: leadership means honest persuasion, not lying.

[lanlady]

4. really, I'm all for spreading democracy in the Middle East

how 'bout taking on Saudi Arabia? George? Tony?

[Classical_Liberal]

5. Perle admitted yesterday the plan was to install Chalabi

so much for democracy.

[JanMichael]

6. But, but, but...Hasn't Tony been saying he had secret incontrovertible...

..."evidence?!

Wouldn't it be inconcievable then for them to not find anything?

[EAMcClure]

9. What hoo ha!

History will always forgive the aggressors, right Tony?

Even if we don't find any evidence, U.S. and Britain are still right and did the noble and just thing by invading a defenseless country, displacing its government, and selling its resources to private bidders. This isn't imperialism, it's the white man's moneyed burden.

The whole justification for war before the UN was Iraq's violation of the body's charter concerning weapons of mass destruction. If no WMD are found, they are in violation of even more international law than before. History, if there is a written history in a generation, will not look kindly upon this shell game. I guarantee it.

[dfong63]

7. when a politician talks like that,

... stuff like "history will forgive me", the guy probably IS history... as in, toast...

history "may" forgive him for being wrong, but history will also note that he was an arrogant fucking liar.

history "may" forgive him for being wrong, but the fact remains that his lies resulted in thousands of deaths, thousands more maimed, and a ruinous debt.

[killbotfactory]

8. What a dipshit.

History doesn't look kindly on people who lie to start illegal wars for suspicious reasons.

[Ekaterina]

10. depends

on what the meaning of "is" is......wonder if the British public is so sanguine.....

[EAMcClure]

11. The British public is most likely spitting nails

Tony Blair, as a representative of the British government, ahd ample time and opportunity to address his government's involvement in the Yellowcake intelligence. He did not.

Bush said that it was the British government who reported Iraq's attempt to purchase 500 tons of Yellowcake. Yet, Mr. Blair did nothing to defend his government, its intelligenec, or Bush's statement. Instead, he attempted to exonerate the problem by making history the final arbiter.

History isn't a court of law, Mr. Blair. History is not the contemporary will of the people, Mr. Blair. He had the opportunity to defuse the mounting questions concerning the Iraq war, and he failed. All the pretty words and jokes do nothing to obfuscate this.