Howard: Blair lied on Iraq
In an interview in the New Statesman Michael Howard has accused the Prime Minister of taking the country to war on lies.Does he believe the British people were lied to? "Over Iraq? Yes." It is not every day that the leader of Her Majesty's loyal opposition accuses the Prime Minister of lying, so I seek to clarify: "Tony Blair lied to them?" Howard responds with a simple: "Yes." When? "Notably when he had intelligence, as is set out in full in the Butler report, which was hedged with qualifications, caveats, warnings, which he translated into certainty. That was the unambiguous evidence that he put to the country." Maybe Blair just got it wrong? "I gave him the opportunity to put an alternative explanation on a number of occasions and I have said that if he were able to provide another explanation I would be prepared probably to accept it. He has conspicuously failed to do that."
Update: Of course Mel has something to say. She says, "It also lines up the Conservative party squarely behind those who are attempting – with increasing success – not just to discredit Tony Blair".
Now who might be trying to discredit Tony Blair? Here's someone.
"[Tony Blair is a] man who does not understand the difference between tolerance and totalitarianism"
"Blair is therefore the dupe of a viciously anti-western agenda whose goal is the destabilisation of western society."
Oh...it's Melanie.
posted by Matthew @ 9/30/2004 11:54:00 AM
Comments: 0
