Friday, January 14, 2011

Tony Blair to appear before Iraq war inquiry

American bloggers were always hot for this story from the early days. Blogged under the general term, Downing Street Memo, they placed great store in it, unfortunately they seemed to be in ignorance of the workings of HMG.




Tony Blair to appear before Iraq war inquiry on 21 January

Blair to make second appearance at inquiry, a year after he first gave evidence, in light of revelations about advice he received on the legality of the war


Tony Blair, summoned back to the inquiry into the Iraq invasion in light of damaging and conflicting evidence revealed since he answered questions a year ago, is to appear before Sir John Chilcot on 21 January, it has been revealed.

A ballot has been held for 60 seats, with a third reserved for family members who lost loved ones in Iraq, the inquiry has announced. All the people who were successful in the ballot will be notified in the next few days, it said.

The former prime minister will attend in light of evidence about the legality of the invasion, and assurances he gave George Bush.



The inquiry is believed to be concerned about the revelation in documents released in June showing that the day before he privately assured Bush he would back US-led military action, Blair was warned by Lord Goldsmith, then attorney general, that an invasion of Iraq would be illegal.

Documents reveal how Goldsmith repeatedly warned Blair of the consequences of invading Iraq without fresh UN authority.

A note from Goldsmith to Blair, marked secret and dated 30 January 2003, stated: "I thought you might wish to know where I stand on the question of whether a further decision of the [UN] security council is legally required in order to authorise the use of force against Iraq."

Goldsmith warned Blair that "the correct legal interpretation of resolution 1441 [the last security council decision on Iraq] is that it does not authorise the use of force without a further determination by the security council". He concluded: "My view remains that a further [UN] decision is required."

The document contains a handwritten note, by David Manning, Blair's chief foreign policy adviser, which warned: "Clear advice from attorney on need for further resolution."

An apparently frustrated Blair scrawled in the margin: "I just don't understand this." An aide added: "Specifically said we did not need further advice [on] this matter."

The following day Blair flew to Washington to see Bush. Manning records the president telling Blair that military action would be taken with or without a second security council resolution, and bombing would start mid-March 2003.

The minute records Blair's reaction: "The prime minister said he was solidly with the president."

By 7 March, 2003, Goldsmith had told Blair that a new UN resolution might not be needed after all, though war without one would risk Britain's indictment before an international court.

On 17 March, Goldsmith, published a short note saying an invasion was lawful.



Lord Boyce, then head of the armed forces, Jack Straw, foreign secretary at the time, and three successive cabinet secretaries at the heart of the Whitehall machine will also be recalled.

The Chilcot inquiry has heard that Blair told Boyce, who was worried about the concerns expressed earlier by Goldsmith, that it was his "unequivocal" view that an invasion of Iraq would be lawful.

Goldsmith has been asked to supply the inquiry with further written evidence.

Lindsey German, convener of the Stop The War Coalition, said: "Blair will be met with demonstrations and protests at the Chilcot inquiry. Military families, former soldiers, peace campaigners, students and trade unionists will all be there.

"When two million marched in February 2003 we knew Blair was lying, we knew that the war was illegal. It seems so too did some at the highest levels of government.

"Blair should not be allowed to get away with lying again. We are determined to hold him to account and believe he should be indicted for war crimes over his wilfull determination to back George Bush and take Britain into this war." Gruniad

Further reading.

http://downingstreetmemo.com/memos.html


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


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article387374.ece

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/25574?&condense_comments=false#comment32339

There is a weird guy named Tony Gosling, well weird to me. I had never heard of him but found him while he was cruising my blog so clicked onto his link. However, I am one like yourself for freespeech. Tony has a radio station in Bristol and he has been told not to discuss the Yeates case on his radio show.


Here is a link with posters who are masons, the wives make for interesting reading.

There is one poster of interest who tells of Police corruption and the freemason link. There is another poster who denies Bush is a free mason but a member of the Skull and Bone society...this took me to Yale and Blair accepting a position in Yale university 2008...do you see where I am going with this....?

Will be back later to pick your brains.

By the way I still love you, have never left a ship in my life..xx

D.

Anonymous said...

I hope David joins us this is right up his alley.

D xx

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNpoS6jOty4

Blair and Bush had something going on and I am not talking about in between the sheets..

Anonymous said...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/08/tonyblair.usa

Anonymous said...

http://www.computerbytesman.com/privacy/blair.htm

Anonymous said...

http://www.bilderberg.org/skulbone.htm#proof

If you and David are interested to explore this path which I believe will lead us right back to the path of a certain little girl who died in Portugal, let me know and I will send you my.e.mail. I can see lots of loose threads including Gamble but need help to knit the jumper.

D.

Anonymous said...

http://www.bilderberg.org/skulbone.htm#proof

If you and David are interested to explore this path which I believe will lead us right back to the path of a certain little girl who died in Portugal, let me know and I will send you my.e.mail. I can see lots of loose threads including Gamble but need help to knit the jumper.

D.

Anonymous said...

I think you should think again and not let anyone upset you. Your work enjoyed by many and you would be very foolish to let anyone stop what you do best.

The choice is yours but do not be bullied by anyone, you owe it Madeleine and her short little life.

Himself said...

D
I have posted a reply here.

http://diaryofamadperson.blogspot.com/2011/01/reply.html

Obviously not directed at you.

How are you? Are you in a position to drop me a few lines?

Warmest regards.
H

Archimedes said...

I think you should think again and not let anyone upset you. Your work enjoyed by many and you would be very foolish to let anyone stop what you do best.

The choice is yours but do not be bullied by anyone, you owe it Madeleine and her short little life.

Here Here Anon 14.50
H's work greatly missed

Archimedes said...

Sorry meant to say
Hear Hear

Anonymous said...

http://steelmagnolia-steelmagnolia.blogspot.com/2011/01/goverment-to-control-way-we-think.html

Hi H..after what happened I no longer have your mail and as your comment section goes straight to view do not wish to post my 'new' mail' on here..but yes I think there is much to discuss.

D xx Think of a way I may contact you

PS I am out for the rest of the day but will look in this evening to see what you have to say.

Look after yourself my friend.

Anonymous said...

http://web.archive.org/web/20080430102847/http://www.xuk.biz/UKLR/Landslide/index.htm

H. I am sure you have this link but for your readers who do not. This is the forensic side of Operation Ore.More links are being added, it is one hell of a story.

England and America joined at the hip.


D. xx

Anonymous said...

http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/

It is happening before our very eyes...

Anonymous said...

I am just passing through and disappointed this has now turned into a war with people taking sides and abandoning sites because they do not like the words of the Blog owner. I thought this is what we were fighting for, free speech. If you do not like the words fair enough but think about those words and why they were spoken. It is comendable (spelling?) to jump to the defence of someone you believe to be a great supporter of GA. We all support GA ,for without him the case would have been forgotten.
However, points have been made , interesting points and I think we must understand that 'everyone' is capable of 'everything and 'anything' is possible. Just keep an open mind and think about ALL things with ALL seeing eyes. If we stay blind because ' we do not wish to think of something that may well be valid' we miss something that may be of vital importance...and splinter groups become weak and no longer as strong as a tree..maybe that is what somebody wants to happen.

Anonymous said...

http://www.jfklibrary.org/

JFK archives now online..

Anonymous said...

H I believe it is very important you stay on the Madeleine case, my reason is the campaign. Madeleine was dead, many ask what was the campaign all about, has it entered anyones mind that the campaign was to search for a child any child, no matter if she was two or three years older, remember Gambles latest image of Madeleine a twelve year old , dark or light skinned but it was the eye defect that held the key.

Himself said...

Thank you all for your comments, links, and messages of support.

I have wound things up for many reasons. I think the two main contributing factors are, I don't think I can achieve much more than I have already done.

I have been vocal, I have been scathing, and there are times I have been, when occasion warrants, quite vicious.

I have little more to say, but fortunately, what I have had to say in the past is now spread far and wide throughout the net. It is there as a record of the iniquities that have been allowed to flourished, both in this country and Portugal.

And of that record, there is little, if anything that I wouldn't stand by, and I would have gladly stood by it in a court of law. But that was never going to happen no matter how outrageous I chose to be. And we all know the reason for that; not a leg to stand on, any of them.

Did I have any influence regarding Gamble and Theresa May's decision to accept Gamble's resignation? I don't know, I would like to think I did, but again I don't know.

But what I do know, I was never asked by Jim Gamble to remove or stop using the CEOP logo. No I was never asked to do that, unlike some that featured it without permission.

Walking away was never going to be easy, so much so in fact, that I took steps that ensured I had no control or access to any of the McCann related blogs. I'm locked out out of them, just as much as you are.

But at the end of the day, it still comes down to the one thing.
I'm tired.

D, my addy is still accessible under my profile.