Reply #60: Dupe. Delete.

[denem]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

RICHARD NORTON-TAYLOR
November 24, 2009

LONDON: British military commanders are expected to tell an inquiry into the Iraq war, which opens today, that the invasion was ill-conceived and that preparations were sabotaged by Tony Blair's government's attempts to mislead the public.

They were so shocked by the lack of preparation for the aftermath of the invasion that they believe members of the British and US governments at the time could be prosecuted for war crimes by breaching the duty outlined in the Geneva Conventions to safeguard civilians in a conflict.

The lengths the Blair government took to conceal the invasion plan and the extent of military commanders' anger at what they call the government's ''appalling'' failures emerged as Sir John Chilcot, the inquiry's chairman, promised to produce a ''full and insightful'' account of how Britain was drawn into the conflict.

Fresh evidence indicates how Mr Blair misled MPs by claiming in 2002 the goal was ''disarmament, not regime change''. Documents show the government wanted to hide its true intentions by informing only ''very small numbers'' of officials.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/military-chiefs-to-accuse-blair-of-iraq-sabotage-20091123-iy6d.html

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Testament by Military Officers of war crimes is very serious indeed. It establishes a prima facie case for prosecution, which the British Government would be bound by treaty to pursue.