Blair warned in 2000 Iraq war was illegal

[deminks]

Source: The Independent

An invasion of Iraq was discussed within the Government more than two years before military action was taken – with Foreign Office mandarins warning that an invasion would be illegal, that it would claim "considerable casualties" and could lead to the breakdown of Iraq, The Independent can reveal.

The extent of Whitehall opposition to the policy eventually backed by Tony Blair emerges just three days before Gordon Brown will appear at the Iraq Inquiry, where he will be asked to explain his role in the Government's decision to invade.

Secret Foreign Office strategy papers drawn up by senior civil servants at the end of 2000 have been obtained by this newspaper and are published for the first time today. The Iraq: future strategy document considers options for dealing with the belligerent Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. It is one of the key documents that Sir John Chilcot's Iraq Inquiry has declined to release.

A policy of "regime overthrow" is proposed, but roundly condemned. In an eerily portentous assessment of the consequences of taking military action, it states: "Such a policy would command no useful international support. An overt attempt to be successful would require a massive military effort, probably including a land invasion: this would risk considerable casualties and, possibly, extreme last-ditch acts of deterrence or defiance by Saddam."



Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/blair-warned-in-2000-iraq-war-was-illegal-1914293.html

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[gerenimox]

1. tell us

something that we don`t know.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Knowledge of the law is no excuse, either.

:grr:

[aquart]

3. 2000???? TWO THOUSAND????

Oh, that smiling bastard.

[blm]

6. Yes - and who was urging Blair to cooperate in invasion of Iraq in 2000 and again in 2001-2?

His top American advisor at the time.

[ixion]

4. Yes. It was patently illegal. So now that this is out, may we please move forward with

war crimes trials for those involved?

[orbitalman]

5. How Often Do We Have To Rehash This Crap...

without taking the necessary action to rectify this travesty. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk ad infinitum.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. Obama and Eric the Wonder General say: War Crimes are good

so turn that page! Look the other way! Poise your checkbook to pay your premiums and shut up, because while it is very important to arrest and imprison those who do such awful things as smoke some pot, it could never, ever be right to arrest those who merely staged criminal wars, made use of American volunteers to commit crimes such as murder, torture, and rape.

[Clear Blue Sky]

8. And we are still there because...?

[Amonester]

17. because Money Trump$ peace. n/t

[Overseas]

9. K&R . //nt

[SlingBlade]

10. It can NEVER be rehashed enough, As it yet another ...

piece of evidence in the Bush Regime's Virtual War Crimes Trials coming to a democratic cyber world near you.

I'd like to see Part II of Joe Conason's book, It Can Happen Here, Released shortly after
the 2006 midterm democrats took their seats in the then new Congress.
A recent re-read of this true crime book only re-enforces my view that to ignore these bastards
is to invite them back just as they were before.

Somehow though, unfortunately, I think that book just as so many others during those day's simply
turned out to be red meat for those who hoped that one day, Change would eventually come.

I heard a rumor on the "internets" that this "Change" had already taken place and that unlike all
the other "Changes", This was one in which we could believe in.

It Can Happen Here part11 will probably never be written,
At least not while Democrats are in power and change surrounds us.

So why not re-hash it, Do it, Do it time and time and time again.
Looks like THAT is the only justice the Bush Regime will ever face.

[RedCloud]

11. They should hear about it 1,000 times more than we heard Hanoi Jane.

At least she went to try to cause peace.

[No Elephants]

12. He knew the war was illegal and fought it anyway. Another confession.

And the statutes of limitation have either expired or will soon expire.

If only I had figured out how to "make" nations like America and the U.K. fulfill their obligations under treaties and other international law and prosecute.

[JoeyT]

16. I don't think there are statutes of limitation

on war crimes.

They prosecuted one of the guards from Sobibor last year and that happened in 1943.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/12/john-demnanjuk-extradited-germany

[DJ13]

13. So Bush hadnt even been selected yet when they were confidant

.....enough he would "win" to go ahead and plan the PNAC invasion of Iraq?

No, our system isnt rigged, not at all.........

[blm]

14. Not hard to figure since Clinton wanted to invade Iraq for some time, only waiting for an ally to

finally agree to join him.

[Name removed]

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