LibDems, Tories Attack Labour over Iraq War

The opposition parties in the UK have finally rounded on the Labour government for the war in Iraq, which most Britons opposed and still oppose. With a week and a half before polling day, Conservative leader Michael Howard said that Mr. Blair lied about the reasons for going to war -- but the result was OK by him. More credibly, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said that Mr. Blair had taken the UK into an illegal war, calling on the nation to deliver "justice by the ballot box."

Mr. Blair's defense of his actions is a weak one at best. In the end, he maintains it was all a question of judgment. Either he got it right or he got it wrong. The UN failed to give him a second resolution to permit a UN-sanctioned attack, so either he could ignore the UN or he could leave the Saddamites in power in Baghdad. Oh, yes, and since they are talking about Iraq, it must be that the Tories and LibDems have nothing else to offer the nation.

Iraq is not the issue of this campaign, but the Liberal Democrats are trying to change that. Mr. Kennedy said, "Iraq does deserve to be a central issue of this election, not only because of what has happened, but because of what may yet come to pass." In addition, he said, "Every Labour candidate should answer for the government's rush to war. Every Conservative candidate should answer for his party's supine support." His party supports a phased withdrawal of British forces from Iraq starting at the end of the year. His party also voted against going into Iraq, unlike the Labour and Conservative parties.

One of the key points of discussion was whether the war was legal according to the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith. The Mail on Sunday reported yesterday that the AG, in a leaked memo, had given six reasons why the military action might not be legal. Mr. Blair has said he went to war with the assurance of Lord Goldsmith that the attack was within the boundaries of international and British law. Liberal Democrat demands that the Goldsmith Report get published have been ignored.

Going to war is the most serious action a government can take. If the ends justify the means, then Mr. Blair has nothing about which to worry. However, a large section of the British public think he lied (not mislead, not misinformed, not misspoke) about the reasons for going to war -- the claim that the Saddamites could launch weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes of receiving the order was a claim from Britain, not America. Those Britons now believe nothing he says; a man who would deceive his nation into war wouldn't hesitate to lie and deceive for 1p in the pound in taxes. British democracy received a serious blow from New Labour. There was much wrong with Old Labour, but attacking other countries under false pretenses wasn't one of them.


© Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
Produced using Fedora Linux.

Home