Thursday February 16, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Britain to conduct long-awaited Iraq war inquiry

World Jun. 16, 2009 - 05:27AM JST ( 18 )

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18 Comments

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cleoJun. 16, 2009 - 09:06AM JST

an examination of mistakes made during and after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion

They should be examining mistakes made before the 2003 US-led invasion - like the decision to invade in the first place.
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teleprompterJun. 16, 2009 - 09:30AM JST

Assisting the United States of America in any way possible in its quest to right Britain's many imperial wrongs in the Mid East is the highest, most noble thing that once great power can now aspire to.If Gordy Brown isn't up to the task he should stand down, make way for a Thatcher-like leader to get the job done.
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pathatJun. 16, 2009 - 09:58AM JST

**Britain to conduct long-awaited Iraq war inquiry **

Conclusion: The invasion of Iraq by the U.S., Great Britain, and a few other members of the so-called Coalition of the Willing was based on lies and more lies for the U.S. to expand its geopolitical control over a much-coveted natural resource-rich country in the Middle East, and to use it as a steppingstone for overt and covert actions to dominate as much of the region as possible for the foreseeable future.
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Taka313Jun. 16, 2009 - 10:04AM JST

Cleo,

They should be examining mistakes made before the 2003 US-led invasion - like the decision to invade in the first place.

I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, the former leadership of both of our countries really savaged our respective Constitutions and proved common sense isn't a prerequisite for leadership.

Here's hoping for justice.

Taka
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SargeJun. 16, 2009 - 10:07AM JST

"Iraq war inquiry"

Lessee what the charges are...

Awful dictator removed from power and brought to justice, free elections held, an Iraqi government in place that doesn't seek WMD or threaten its neighbors...

Guilty as charged!
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adaydreamJun. 16, 2009 - 10:13AM JST

They can't really do a good inquiry unless they look at how the war was contrived. But we already know what they will find. < :-)
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cleoJun. 16, 2009 - 10:14AM JST

make way for a Thatcher-like leader to get the job done

Guaranteed to raise a shudder in thinking circles.
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SargeJun. 16, 2009 - 10:34AM JST

"They should be examining mistakes made before the 2003 US-led invasion - like the decision to invade in the first place"

Yes, it would have been so much better to let Saddam Hussein and his winsome sons and Chemical Ali continue to thumb their noses at the U.N. and run Iraq into the ground whilst seeking to ressurect their WMD.

"the former leadership of both of our countries really savaged our respective Constitutions"

They did not. When the author of that ridiculous statement can't find any proof that the Constitution was violated, will he come back here and admit he's wrong?
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SargeJun. 16, 2009 - 10:36AM JST

"Guaranteed to raise a shudder in thinking circles"

No, guaranteed to raise a shudder in liberal circles.
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timorborderJun. 16, 2009 - 11:59AM JST

Would love to be a fly on the wall at these hearings, particularly any review of the military tactics employed. As somebody who still has strong links to the military, I have a number of friends both in the British and US Armies who are at the mid-upper end of the food chain (friendships made through exchanges, etc). It will be rather interesting to see how much dirty washing is exposed and how much buck-passing occurs.
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bobobolinskiJun. 16, 2009 - 02:05PM JST

"Guaranteed to raise a shudder in thinking circles"

No, guaranteed to raise a shudder in liberal circles.<

Er, I don't get this. Surely Thatcher was an extreme liberal in her economic policies, which have been followed more or less by the subsequent New Labour government. Unless you mean political Liberals, which doesn't make sense either, since a move to the right would probably generate a rise in their popularity; it certainly did in the 1980s.
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SushiSake3Jun. 16, 2009 - 02:34PM JST

Sarge - "Awful dictator removed from power and brought to justice, free elections held, an Iraqi government in place that doesn't seek WMD or threaten its neighbors... Guilty as charged!"

Sarge, it's sad you still can't see past the spin and lies.
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SushiSake3Jun. 16, 2009 - 02:36PM JST

It's well beyond time this war inquiry was held.

Unfortunately, holding it behind closed doors isn't going to do much to foster trust in the results.

Here's hoping the U.S. does the right thing and investigates the band of lowlifes who were behind the invasion in the first place.
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cleoJun. 16, 2009 - 02:48PM JST

Wow, I really mucked up the layout on that, didn't I! And lost half of it. Try again -

"Guaranteed to raise a shudder in thinking circles"

No, guaranteed to raise a shudder in liberal circles.

Same thing.

Surely Thatcher was an extreme liberal in her economic policies, which have been followed more or less by the subsequent New Labour government

Thatcher was extreme, yes, but not liberal by any definition of the word. And New Labour is basically Tory Lite, ie Thatcherism without the steroids..
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bobobolinskiJun. 16, 2009 - 03:32PM JST

Thatcher was extreme, yes, but not liberal by any definition of the word.

According to Webster's, among other meanings liberalism is "a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard". I'm not sure of Mrs T's attitude towards the gold standard but the rest of it seems to fit her to a t. I think what has happened is that an American Right association of the word "liberal" with reference to personal ethics (eg attitudes towards abortion) with political leftness. Probably Thatcher was not liberal ethically, but she certainly was in her economic policies.
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jonnyboyJun. 16, 2009 - 03:41PM JST

how any "democracy" can ever justify having private inquiries regarding anything other than strictly internal matters is beyond me. as soon as a member of the public becomes involved, a public inquiry should be mandatory

needless to say i wasn't surprised by the news, although the anarchist in me wanted to see the plot of The Trial of Tony Blair acted out in real life
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cleoJun. 16, 2009 - 04:38PM JST

"a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard".

In Maggie Thatcher's world, that 'freedom from restraint' was the prerogative of the haves; top-level income tax slashed from 83% to 40%, industries owned by the people put up for sale to the highest bidder. At the same time those lower down the ladder found a greater slice of their incomes being gobbled up by higher VAT, and industrial unrest in many cases cutting that income down to the minimum. That's not liberal.

OK, it's not liberal in my book. Webster seems to have a different idea.
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torsoahoJun. 21, 2009 - 11:49AM JST

Simply unbelievable. The same cast of characters that for the past 4-5 years have been bad mouthing Bush and his administration over the Iraq war are now given the opportunity to call out one of their own. The opportunity to discuss the sucess and failures of the British strategy and possibly find out why the British government went along hand in hand buying into the same lies and deceit doled out by Saddam Hussein and his henchmen. A real opportunity to come to this forum and berate the Brits, under two PM's mind you, much like you did President Bush. Instead, what do we get ? Margaret Thatcher ? Surely you jest !