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TONY BLAIR'S SEMI "MEA CULPA"
Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Tuesday, Sep 28 2004, 4:23PM
IT HAS TAKEN A WHILE FOR JOHN KERRY TO ARTICULATE his strong opposition to the Iraq War, but he finally got there.
Tony Blair may be following his lead in an effort to win back the support of angry Labor Party members. From a Reuters report:
"The evidence about Saddam having actual biological and chemical weapons ... has turned out to be wrong," Blair told Labour's annual conference, his nearest yet to a "mea culpa."
"The problem is I can apologize for the information that turned out to be wrong but I can't, sincerely at least, apologize for removing Saddam," he said. "The world is a better place with Saddam in prison not in power."
Blair's not quite there yet....but getting closer. British elections will probably be in May 2005. Watch the evolution. . .
-- Steve Clemons
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Steve, both of these are great posts - particularly on Chalmers Johnson and Daniel Ellsberg.
Blair won't be able to fully apologize. But he's so Clintonian that he may be able to find that third way strategy through his own angry party members.
As usual, you are writing important commentary.
Blair certainly has to do something to make amends with his party and the people.
I'm sure the prospect of being the first British PM in 150 years to have articles of impeachment read against him on the floor of the Commons has sharpened his mind.
But there may, in reality, be nothing he can do to rectify his position any more.
It's all very well to want to restore the lustre of the days of empire by embarking on some glorious foreign campaigns. But Tony's idea of Britain's empire seems to have been George's idea of American empire.
Even British doves don't like to overtly play second banana and the hawks can only barely silence the roar of their bruxism.
I heard a Beeb interview with Tony this morning, and I really don't think this half mea culpa is going to work. It's just not sustainable with a competent press corps running around--as Britain has.
The interviewer simply wouldn't let go of the fact that Annan had declared the invasion illegal. Tony kept trying to say, "well we think it was legal." And the reporter kept retorting, "well, the guy who gets to decide these things--in a system you suppport--has said it is illegal." The Beeb reporter found it too easy to show the logical inconsistency of Tony's current position. And I imagine he's not the only one.
I heard that same Beeb interview this AM. The interviewer was also relentless in not allowing Mr. Blair any refuge in any of the excuses for the war that were born once it was clear that WMDs were not to be found. It seems the strategy is to apologize for something that allows him a 'buck stops here' leadership moment, but to continue to insist that the war is Very Good Thing.
ps.
My first post, but I've been lurking since JMM highlighted your blog, Steve. This is excellent work -- please keep it up!
God forgive me, I hate those arrogant asses!
"Ok, there weren't any weapons, but I'm not sorry"...fucking weasels.
Does it have to be their children blown apart by bombs before they understand that there is NEVER an excuse to start a war of choice?
They like to pray together, you know. They're such good Christian leaders....
Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumb (Blair & Bush), should both be tried for war crimes.
Maybe when they're standing trial in the Hague they can start to perceive the hell they have created for people who were NO threat to them, whose only crime was to be born on top of huge oil reserves.
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