Labour Alternative representative Courtney Robinson has responded to the Chilcot report:
“The Chilcot report is a damning indictment of Tony Blair and those around him who pushed for war in Iraq in 2003. They did so based on the blatant lie that Saddam Hussein – an erstwhile ally of the West – had weapons of mass destruction. This was a fabrication aimed at justifying a war for oil and control of the region.”
“The invasion and occupation left a million dead and many more displaced and seriously injured. Rather than undermine Islamic fundamentalism, the devastation wrought on the country and the corrupt, sectarian government propped up by the West created the conditions in which groups like Al-Qa’eda and later Islamic State could grow. The people of the region continue to suffer the consequences, such as recent, horrific bombing in Baghdad.”
“The millions who marched against the war across the world – including tens of thousands in Northern Ireland – have been vindicated, as have those public figures who spoke out, such as Jeremy Corbyn. Many of those currently attempting to oust him as Labour leader bear responsibility for the destruction and suffering caused by the war. They represent the discredited politics of the past.”
“Chilcot stops far short of calling for the likes of Bush and Blair to face consequences for their actions. While they may never see the inside of a court, history will judge them as war criminals. The report confirms the reality that most people have accepted for years but it does not provide justice for the Iraqi people or the families of the many soldiers who lost their lives. The best tribute we can pay to them is to resist any further military adventures in the Middle East and demand a full withdrawal of Western forces from the region.”
