» Monday, March 19, 2007

Iraq

Asked if the Prime Minister would be marking the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq with a statement or comment, given that the President of the United States had made a statement, the PMOS replied that we were not planning anything in particular, but the Prime Minister had made his views on the current situation in Iraq remarkably clear. Taking the overall feed out of the opinion polls, the Sunday Times poll showed that 2 to 1 were in favour of the current regime rather than under Saddam; 2/3 of the Iraqi public had confidence in the Iraqi police and army (from USA Today/ABC/BBC poll); 56% did not think it was a civil war; and 94% did not want the country divided along ethnic lines (BBC poll). Whilst everyone recognised the difficulties, equally people should be clear about the underlying Iraqi sentiment.

Asked when the Prime Minister changed the objective of the war to regime change, the PMOS replied that the Prime Minister had not changed the objectives of the war. As we had said at the time, and as the four inquiries since had underlined, we acted in good faith in terms of the international consensus, including the UN, that Iraq did possess weapons of mass destruction.

Put to him that the Prime Minister repeatedly said in his interview with Sky News that he was right to do it because Saddam was replaced, as if that was the objective, the PMOS replied that the Prime Minister said that we believed at the time that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and he has no regrets about replacing Saddam. These were two separate things.

Briefing took place at 15:00 | Search for related news

5 Comments »

  1. More than 1.2 million (yes, that’s right) Iraqi refugees have fled to Syria and no one else has offered any assistance at all:

    http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,471728,00.html

    Comment by Maurice — 20 Mar 2007 on 8:53 pm | Link
  2. Everyone in the world of unreality thinks that our Prime Minister is a pushover for Washington. Far from that. As an American man put it on his article which appeared on the African Muslim portal http://www.esinislam.com, "Mr. Tony Blair is a man of himself…strong, intelligent, and humane. Camerals have not shown him recently with President Bush, which may suggest the British able leader has hit the nail where White House doesn’t want the leak."

    Like all critics of the Prime Minister on Iraq both home and abroad, suggestion by the West African academic and cleric, Sheikh Adelabu on its students esinislam.com that the billions of money spent on Iraq should have been directed to Africa to solve all African problems and make the poverty history in Africa is as short-sighted as to believe their shall not be war anywhere in the world anymore as long as everyone has got Weapon of Mass Destructions.

    I totally and utterly disagree with the African Sheikh. The problems in Africa today was not created only by materials or money to be more precise. Africa is a complex continent with real complexities including tribalism, creeds, religions, language barriers, and above all egoism and vainglory.

    I am not an African of course. But I have a lot of African friends men and women among whom have introduce me to the African Muslim website. Many of them share my opinions not only because they were born here but also because they were educated here.

    What Africa needs, Sheikh Adelabu as you yourself has said in your ‘sermon’, is education and hearts to serve (as you put it) the troubled black continent.

    Iraq is a problem that was created by lack of those hearts to serve or at least by not letting those hearts serve. Instead, a dictator and his fellow egoistics seized control of Iraq for over three decades and destroyed the prosperous nation with both weapons of mass destruction and weapons of own destruction. Where is he today? Perished with all his wickedness.

    Let call a space a space. Mr. Blair deserves credits for what he has achieved and contributed for the kof humanity be it in Iraq or Iran, Zimbabwe or Sierra Leone, Bulka or Bali.

    Steve Steward

    Steve Steward

    Comment by Steve Steward — 1 Apr 2007 on 4:33 pm | Link
  3. Everyone in the world of unreality thinks that our Prime Minister is a pushover for Washington. Far from that. As an American man put it on his article which appeared on the African Muslim portal http://www.esinislam.com, "Mr. Tony Blair is a man of himself…strong, intelligent, and humane. Camerals have not shown him recently with President Bush, which may suggest the British able leader has hit the nail where White House doesn’t want the leak."

    Like all critics of the Prime Minister on Iraq both home and abroad, suggestion by the West African academic and cleric, Sheikh Adelabu on its students esinislam.com that the billions of money spent on Iraq should have been directed to Africa to solve all African problems and make the poverty history in Africa is as short-sighted as to believe their shall not be war anywhere in the world anymore as long as everyone has got Weapon of Mass Destructions.

    I totally and utterly disagree with the African Sheikh. The problems in Africa today was not created only by materials or money to be more precise. Africa is a complex continent with real complexities including tribalism, creeds, religions, language barriers, and above all egoism and vainglory.

    I am not an African of course. But I have a lot of African friends men and women among whom have introduce me to the African Muslim website. Many of them share my opinions not only because they were born here but also because they were educated here.

    What Africa needs, Sheikh Adelabu as you yourself has said in your ‘sermon’, is education and hearts to serve (as you put it) the troubled black continent.

    Iraq is a problem that was created by lack of those hearts to serve or at least by not letting those hearts serve. Instead, a dictator and his fellow egoistics seized control of Iraq for over three decades and destroyed the prosperous nation with both weapons of mass destruction and weapons of own destruction. Where is he today? Perished with all his wickedness.

    Let call a space a space. Mr. Blair deserves credits for what he has achieved and contributed for the kof humanity be it in Iraq or Iran, Zimbabwe or Sierra Leone, Bulka or Bali.

    Steve Steward

    Steve Steward

    Comment by Steve Steward — 1 Apr 2007 on 4:33 pm | Link
  4. Mr. Steve Steward is wrong in his comments about Sheikh Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas) posted 01 April 2007. From his comments, it appears to me clearly that Mr. Steward knows – if anything at all – little about the African Muslims academic and cleric.

    I am a medical doctor practicing in the United Kingdom and one of the proudest student of Sheikh Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas) as well as a regular visitor of esinislam.com. The article Mr. Steward quoted of Sheikh Adelabu had not suggested Mr. Blair was wrong to fulfill his duty as head of the British government and defence chiefs of staff. The article – copies of which is available from me to re-post to Mr. Steward upon his request – only point out the contrary between Mr. Blair tireless efforts to make poverty a history and his decision to join Mr. Bush war hunger that had cost the Britain’s tax payers – among who I am rightfully – sums running into billions.

    As a Christian previously who has reverted to Islam after my brother Kevin, who is also a student of Sheikh Adelabu, had introduced me to the African Sheikh, I can understand what made Mr. Steward took on the African Muslims. It must be Islamophobia. If so, poor Steve!
    Prime Minister is a man of dignity, passion, and devotion to his people – just as Sheikh Adelabu is to the African Muslims. I believe, our Prime Minister Tony Blair, unlike Mr. Steward would appreciate Sheikh Adelabu and his students who have chosen means of dialogue and journalism to make their points.

    The facts that Britain, in its multiculturalism richness, have sheikhs like Dr. Adelabu, we have every reason to believe the contributions of African Muslims towards peace and stability of our world would be just as Mr. Blair had laboured so fruitfully – dialogue and not violence.

    If, however, there is anything to reckon with in Mr. Steward’s comments, it is perhaps his flexibility to quote from the African Sheikh that what Africa needs is education and hearts to serve (as you put it) the troubled black continent.

    Mary Kofi (Now Maryam Kofi)

    Comment by Mary Kofi — 5 Apr 2007 on 5:21 pm | Link
  5. Mr. Steve Steward is wrong in his comments about Sheikh Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas) posted 01 April 2007. From his comments, it appears to me clearly that Mr. Steward knows – if anything at all – little about the African Muslims academic and cleric.

    I am a medical doctor practicing in the United Kingdom and one of the proudest student of Sheikh Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas) as well as a regular visitor of esinislam.com. The article Mr. Steward quoted of Sheikh Adelabu had not suggested Mr. Blair was wrong to fulfill his duty as head of the British government and defence chiefs of staff. The article – copies of which is available from me to re-post to Mr. Steward upon his request – only point out the contrary between Mr. Blair tireless efforts to make poverty a history and his decision to join Mr. Bush war hunger that had cost the Britain’s tax payers – among who I am rightfully – sums running into billions.

    As a Christian previously who has reverted to Islam after my brother Kevin, who is also a student of Sheikh Adelabu, had introduced me to the African Sheikh, I can understand what made Mr. Steward took on the African Muslims. It must be Islamophobia. If so, poor Steve!
    Prime Minister is a man of dignity, passion, and devotion to his people – just as Sheikh Adelabu is to the African Muslims. I believe, our Prime Minister Tony Blair, unlike Mr. Steward would appreciate Sheikh Adelabu and his students who have chosen means of dialogue and journalism to make their points.

    The facts that Britain, in its multiculturalism richness, have sheikhs like Dr. Adelabu, we have every reason to believe the contributions of African Muslims towards peace and stability of our world would be just as Mr. Blair had laboured so fruitfully – dialogue and not violence.

    If, however, there is anything to reckon with in Mr. Steward’s comments, it is perhaps his flexibility to quote from the African Sheikh that what Africa needs is education and hearts to serve (as you put it) the troubled black continent.

    Mary Kofi (Now Maryam Kofi)

    Comment by Mary Kofi — 5 Apr 2007 on 5:48 pm | Link

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