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[Get Real!]

"Cruel Britannia" report claims torture link with Pakistan (Roundup)

London - A human rights group Tuesday accused the British government of complicity in the torture of five British nationals held by the security agencies of Pakistan between 2004 and 2007.

The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in London that a five-year study had provided 'credible evidence' that British officials were aware of the abuse.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/ ... an-Roundup

[Get Real!]

Britain's ignorance of Iraq is already apparent

Ever since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 senior British officials have gently hinted that what went wrong was the fault of the Americans and, if there is any blame left over, it belongs to Tony Blair. The first day of the Chilcot inquiry suggests, on the contrary, that British mandarins of the day had little more idea of the mechanics of Iraqi politics than the most rabid and jingoistic neo-cons in Washington.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/co ... 26920.html

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Secret report: Blair misled public throughout 2002

Tony Blair covered up British military plans for a full Iraq invasion throughout 2002, claiming at the time that Britain's objective was "disarmament, not regime change." This and many other damning details are revealed in hundreds of pages of secret government reports obtained by The Sunday Telegraph.

http://rawstory.com/2009/11/secret-repo ... blic-2002/


Iraq report: Secret papers reveal blunders and concealment

The “appalling” errors that contributed to Britain’s failure in Iraq are disclosed in the most detailed and damning set of leaks to emerge on the conflict.

On the eve of the Chilcot inquiry into Britain’s involvement in the 2003 invasion and its aftermath, The Sunday Telegraph has obtained hundreds of pages of secret Government reports on “lessons learnt” which shed new light on “significant shortcomings” at all levels.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... lment.html


Officials knew WMD evidence was tainted

Intelligence revealing that Saddam Hussein's WMD had been dismantled was received by the Government just days before Tony Blair sent troops into the country, senior officials have admitted.

Ministers were also given repeated warnings that intelligence gathered on Iraq's weapons programmes was unreliable. However, Mr Blair told the Commons that Saddam Hussein did have chemical and biological weapons as he prepared the way for the invasion in March 2003.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 27616.html

[Malapapa]

This is a superb article....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... rimes.html

Why I believe Blair should stand trial - and even face charges for war crimes,
by General Sir Michael Rose

[Get Real!]

[Get Real!]

Iraq: The war was illegal

“Tony Blair will be quizzed over a devastating official memo warning him that war on Iraq would be illegal eight months before he sent troops into Baghdad, it was claimed last night.

The Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war will consider a letter from Lord Goldsmith, then Mr Blair's top law officer, advising him that deposing Saddam would be in breach of international law, according to a report in The Mail on Sunday. "

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 30508.html

[Talisker]

It is really important to know the truth about this shameful episode in recent UK history. Questions are once again being asked:

Dr David Kelly: doctors start legal action for new inquest
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... quest.html

[Get Real!]

Ex-UN weapons inspector condemns Blair, Bush on Iraq

George W. Bush and Tony Blair's conviction that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a threat blinded them to the lack of evidence justifying a war to depose him, an ex-UN weapons inspector said Saturday.

Hans Blix, who led the UN weapons inspection team in the run-up to the 2003 invasion, told the Daily Mail that the then US and British leaders had "misled themselves and then they misled the public" about the reason for the conflict.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091205/wl ... sinquiryun

[Get Real!]

Intoxicated by power, Blair tricked us into war

The degree of deceit involved in our decision to go to war on Iraq becomes steadily clearer. This was a foreign policy disgrace of epic proportions and playing footsie on Sunday morning television does nothing to repair the damage. It is now very difficult to avoid the conclusion that Tony Blair engaged in an alarming subterfuge with his partner George Bush and went on to mislead and cajole the British people into a deadly war they had made perfectly clear they didn’t want, and on a basis that it’s increasingly hard to believe even he found truly credible. Who is any longer naive enough to accept that the then Prime Minister’s mind remained innocently open after his visit to Crawford, Texas?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 955241.ece

[miltiades]

Intoxicated by power, Blair tricked us into war

The degree of deceit involved in our decision to go to war on Iraq becomes steadily clearer. This was a foreign policy disgrace of epic proportions and playing footsie on Sunday morning television does nothing to repair the damage. It is now very difficult to avoid the conclusion that Tony Blair engaged in an alarming subterfuge with his partner George Bush and went on to mislead and cajole the British people into a deadly war they had made perfectly clear they didn’t want, and on a basis that it’s increasingly hard to believe even he found truly credible. Who is any longer naive enough to accept that the then Prime Minister’s mind remained innocently open after his visit to Crawford, Texas?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 955241.ece

As per: Ken Macdonald QC practises at Matrix Chambers and is a visiting professor of law at the London School of Economics. He was Director of Public Prosecutions, 2003-2008