Britain's Walking Iraq Casualty

U.K. Will Remember Tony Blair For One Thing — Joining President Bush's Unpopular War

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer in London.

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Four years into the war, British military bases are still under daily mortar attack in southern Iraq – and the British prime minister is under heavy fire at home.

In an interview aired last week on Britain's Sky News, Tony Blair was asked whether, in the face of daily tragedy in Iraq, he believed he had made a mistake in taking Britain to war.

Absolutely not, the Prime Minister replied.

"I have on every occasion expressed my sadness and sorrow. I understand for these families (of British servicemen and women) it is a time of immense grief... but I can't say what I don't believe. I don't believe it was the wrong thing to get rid of Saddam."

But right from the beginning, millions of Britons strongly disagreed with their Prime Minister.

On February 15, 2003 hundreds of thousands of people poured into the streets of London in the largest peace-time demonstration in British history, but it’s taken four years for that groundswell of protest to affect policy.

Over the past few months, Britain's withdrawal plans have started firming up.

The prime minister's unwavering defense of the invasion and occupation is not shared by the majority of British members of parliament.

Of the roughly 7,000 British troops left in Iraq, 1,600 will come home before the summer.

That will leave just 5,500 behind in a military sector now largely under Iraqi command.

Colonel Tim Collins commanded British troops in Iraq in 2002.

"The British government is more concerned with its domestic issues now than it is about this military campaign — which frankly hasn't gone very well. As a result, the whole thing is in complete disarray."

Television viewers watching Tony Blair being interviewed last week were asked: "Was it right to invade Iraq?"

A whopping 82 percent voted "no".

The public is not only alarmed by the casualties in Iraq, but infuriated by the widely-held belief that British soldiers are dying because Tony Blair capitulated to President Bush in joining an illegal invasion, followed by a catastrophically poor occupation.

That opinion was reinforced again last week by the verdict of a coroner's inquest into the death of Lance Corporal Matty Hull, killed by American bombs when U.S. pilots mistakenly attacked a British convoy in Iraq.

The Pentagon had refused to provide cockpit video that would help explain how the accident had happened, and who was responsible. The video was nevertheless leaked to the coroner. It showed the pilots had disobeyed basic orders during their bombing mission, leading the coroner to return a verdict of unlawful death.

The whole affair has reinforced the popular view that Britain continues to be America's patsy in Iraq.

Quite apart from the military casualties of this war — at least 134 British soldiers have been killed and 1,000 wounded — there has been one outstanding political one: Prime Minister Tony Blair.

One of his biographers, the political correspondent John Rentoul, says the Prime Minister is unlikely to express publicly any frustration he feels.

"I suspect in private he must resent the way the Americans have handled this, as there's a prevailing opinion that it could have been done a lot better. But he's not going to criticize George Bush in public because that's just not the way he does things. He thinks that that would look cowardly and opportunistic.

"However, there is no question that Iraq has ended his period as prime minister. In effect, he's been living on borrowed time since 2003," Rentoul said.

Tony Blair has already said he will give up the prime minister's office sometime this summer.

He will do it knowing that no matter what he has achieved in modernizing Britain, and regardless of steering the country through an unprecedented period of prosperity — Iraq will be the headline of his political epitaph.

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Update: The number of British casualties cited in this story was updated to 134 dead, not 166 as first reported.

[BlueInWI]

Yep. Another reputation destroyed by Chimp/Cheney. Although, Blair is partly to blame because he is arrogant (Like Bush) and lets his religious views drive his policy. If you read his original justification for invasion they were often made in religious terms. Well, the insurgents in Iraq are also motivated by religious views that they hold just as deeply...

Religion and faith is great, but should not mix with politics/policy... It's been a disaster throughout history, and history once again repeats itself.

[bluestardad]

DO A LITTLE RESEARCH OR SHUT THEHELL UP YOU IDIOTS! TRULY SOME OF YOU ARE SO IGNORANT IT DEFIES REASON THAT YOU CAN CROSS THE ROAD!

http://www.aipac.org/forms/join
_aipacClubs.htm

Republicans up for reelection!

Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)
Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)
Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
Coleman, Norm- (R - MN)
Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)
Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)
Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Hagel, Chuck- (R - NE)
Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL)
Smith, Gordon H.- (R - OR)
Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)
Sununu, John E.- (R - NH)
Warner, John- (R - VA)

If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[e-mail] Here is the Republican Party email address too!

[e-mail] Here is the Democratic Party email address also!

[lieber881]

The IDIOT and Neo-Nazi who, if he ever did wear the uniform of the U.S. military - one bluestarbigot should be ashamed of himself.

Furthermore, since he and his fellow so-called vets who are Jooz haters, Bush Bashers and America-blamers cannot even figure out who are friends are in the world, and who are foes are, if Pelosi and her friends ever did bring back the "spit-brigades" in SF and Berkeley, they'd richly deserve that treatment. And I

[scott4261]

I have to ask the question again: HOW has the war in Iraq been worth it? Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden couldn't have conspired to attack the U.S. because they hated each other. Saddam was secular and Osama is a religious extremist. This war was not worth one drop of American blood. And the very occupation by the U.S. has created a vacuum for terrorist activity where there was none before.

And for what? To benefit Exxon/Mobil, Halliburton, and KBR? I believe that one need only to follow the war profiteering money trail to find out just how much is wrong with this war and why I detest what is happening now.

And before the Bush apologist start bashing my post, let me say this: I get irritated when I am told that I am somehow undermining troop moral, that I hate America, that I'm a traitor, that I'm unpatriotic,.....whatever...you name it....just because I choose to speak out against the actions of this corrupt administration. I love my country and that is why I am willing to speak up.

This war has been a grave error.

[truth_reason]

I fully agree, never should religion and politics mix. If you look at it Bush and Blair are alot alike in alot of ways. Although I belive that the U.K. is the only nation other then Canada that we can some what trust. I feel that British citizans do not honor us (U.S.A) as the only allia they can trust, I think that Britian is loseing a grip on what is true in the world. Britian is a major world player that needs to step up to the plate.

[emhawks]

Did you know Tony Blair is being considered for membership in the Carlyle Group?

[superrichy]

Im British and perhaps the major issue of contention for the British people is the so-called 'Dodgy Dossier' which Blair's spin doctor Alistair Campbell changed and removed parts of to help make the case for war. We were told Saddam had Weapons of Mass Destruction which would be able to target the UK in 45 minutes. Claims which were later proved to be totally false and led to the death of a leading expert Dr David Kelly. Blair did try to justify his decision in slightly religious terms but here people view him as a liar, pure and simple.