Blair Defends Iraq Intelligence Handling

[Khephra]

LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair, facing persistent questions about his government's use of intelligence on Iraq's development of illicit weapons, said Tuesday he had made a valid case for military action.

"I refute any suggestion that we misled Parliament or the people," Blair told the House of Commons Liaison Committee, stressing he stands "totally" behind the case he made for war.

"I am quite sure we did the right thing in removing Saddam Hussein because not merely was he a threat ... to the wider world but it was an appalling regime that the world is well rid of."

On Monday, another parliamentary committee sharply criticized the government's handling of intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. The Foreign Affairs Committee said Blair "misrepresented" the status of a dossier published in January.

more.............................

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-britain-iraq-blair,0,5071.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[Capt_Nemo]

1. Defending the indefensible...

Blair got used to it long ago...

[Frances]

2. 4 months to plant WMD?

Or is the Blair administration hoping that everyone will forget about WMD in 4 months?

From the article:
"Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon that coalition forces needed at least another four months to search for banned arms in Iraq."

[rock]

3. He defends getting it wrong!?

Huh

[ze_dscherman]

4. "I did not have relations with that dossier"

Steve Bell's cartoon in The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoons/0,7371,337484,00.html

[Demobrat]

5. They think if they repeat the phrase "removing Saddad" enough times

we'll start to think that that was the justification in the first place. Just like by using the words Saddam Hussein and September 11 in the same sentence ad nauseum convinced us that Saddam was responsible. It worked once, why not again?

On edit: You guys know I meant Saddam!