Tony Blair has finally said sorry for the Iraq War – and admitted he could be partly to blame for the rise of Islamic State.
The extraordinary confession by the former Prime Minister comes after 12 years in which he refused to apologise for the conflict.
Blair makes his dramatic ‘mea culpa’ during a TV interview about the ‘hell’ caused by his and George Bush’s decision to oust Saddam Hussein.

In the exchange, Blair repeatedly says sorry for his conduct and even refers to claims that the invasion was a war ‘crime’ – while denying he committed one.
Blair is asked bluntly in the CNN interview, to be broadcast today: ‘Was the Iraq War a mistake?’


He replies: ‘I apologise for the fact that the intelligence we received was wrong.
‘I also apologise for some of the mistakes in planning and, certainly, our mistake in our understanding of what would happen once you removed the regime.’
Challenged that the Iraq War was ‘the principal cause’ of the rise of Islamic State, he said: ‘I think there are elements of truth in that.

'Of course you can’t say those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015.’
In the ‘trial by TV’, respected US political broadcaster Fareed Zakaria accuses him of being President Bush’s ‘poodle’ over the conflict. Blair’s confession comes a week after The Mail on Sunday published a bombshell White House memo revealing for the first time how Blair and Bush agreed a ‘deal in blood’ a year before the invasion.
A 2002 briefing note from US Secretary of State Colin Powell to the President showed Blair had secretly pledged to back the conflict – while telling MPs and British voters that he was seeking a diplomatic solution.

In his CNN interview, Blair candidly asks for forgiveness for his blunder in not realising ‘what would happen once you removed the regime’.
The admission makes a mockery of the statement in the Powell memo that Blair would ‘demonstrate [to Bush] that we have thought through “the day after” ’ – a reference to the consequences of invasion.
However, the bloody chaos in the region continues to this day. And in a separate development, former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett has revealed that he challenged Blair before the war about avoiding chaos after Saddam’s downfall.

Lord Blunkett says Blair failed to give him such ‘reassurances’ – and instead placed blind faith in the two main ‘hawks’ in the US administration, Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Lord Blunkett also vented his fury that Sir John Chilcot, who is leading the long-delayed inquiry into the Iraq War, had failed to ask him to give evidence.

Given my front-row seat at these events, I am mystified Chilcot has not asked me to provide either oral or written evidence,’ Lord Blunkett told The Mail on Sunday.
‘I would have thought that over the six years the inquiry has been going on, Sir John would have found the time to ask the then-Home Secretary what he knew.’
Blair’s confession about the Iraq War and the rise of IS is in stark contrast to his repeated refusal to shoulder the blame for the conflict, or its long term consequences. In 2004, he told MPs: ‘I will not apologise for the conflict. I believe it was right.’
He stuck to his hard line in 2007, saying: ‘I don’t think we should be apologising at all for what we are doing in Iraq.’

Remarkably, Blair himself predicted how the apology U-turn he finally makes today would be reported.
In his 2010 memoirs, he explained why he had so far refused to say ‘yes’ when asked if he was sorry, because he knew it would prompt damaging headlines.
‘Answer “Yes” and I knew the outcome: “BLAIR APOLOGISES FOR WAR”, “AT LAST HE SAYS SORRY”. I can’t say sorry in words.’
His apology is bound to prompt claims that he is trying to head off the scathing criticism of his handling of the Iraq War expected to be included in Chilcot’s findings.
All the key figures, including Blair and other senior Labour politicians, are understood to have been given notice of the broad thrust of Chilcot’s verdict on them, expected to be made public next year.
As a master of public relations and media manipulation, Blair may have calculated that since Chilcot is likely to accuse him of major errors of judgment, it is better for him to volunteer an apology now, rather than be forced to do so if, as seems certain, Chilcot’s damning assessment gives him little choice. The former Prime Minister’s decision to make his apology in the US, as opposed to the UK, is also significant.
Far from presenting his apology in a harsh critical light, CNN interviewer Zakaria, a personal friend of Blair, showers praise on him for being the only interviewee in the programme who ‘took responsibility for Iraq’ on camera.

Most of the others involved in the show, senior US political and military figures, blamed each other.
The Colin Powell memo – which this newspaper found among declassified US State Department documents while searching through a cache of Hillary Clinton’s recently released emails – was written in March 2002, a week before Mr Blair met Mr Bush for a summit at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
In our report, which made headlines around the world, we revealed that Powell had said Blair ‘will be with us’ should the US take military action in Iraq and that the ‘UK will follow our lead’.
Blair would handle ‘public affairs lines’ for persuading people that Saddam posed a real threat – in fact, after the war, it was discovered Blair’s claims following the Crawford summit about Iraq’s ‘weapons of mass destruction’ were false.
Lord Blunkett told The Mail on Sunday yesterday how he challenged Blair during Cabinet meetings prior to the war about the level of post-conflict planning for Iraq.
As one of Blair’s most loyal Ministers, Lord Blunkett said he repeatedly sought reassurances that the US had a coherent plan to govern Iraq after the fall of Saddam.
He added: ‘I did not receive that reassurance. Tony was not able to say what was going to happen when combat operations were over. He just decided to trust Cheney and Rumsfeld.
‘With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that they had decided to embark on the complete de-Ba’athification of Saddam’s Iraq by dismantling the entire Government infrastructure.
‘This led to the disintegration of any form of functioning government, creating a complete power vacuum. Terrorists infiltrated Iraq and stirred discontent.

‘I am not seeking to scapegoat Tony Blair; we were all collectively to blame for deluding ourselves into believing that we had much greater sway over Washington.’ Lord Blunkett echoed calls for Chilcot to release an interim copy of his findings immediately or ‘risk his entire exercise being entirely discredited’.
Significantly, in the CNN show, host Zakaria gives his own apology, telling viewers that he regrets his own initial support for the war.
He says he changed his mind after watching the post-war turmoil unfold and witnessing the bloody rise of IS. Viewers may draw the conclusion that Blair came to the same decision for the same reason.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3287982/I-m-sorry-Blair-takes-blame-Iraq-War-admits-conflict-caused-rise-ISIS-astonishing-apology-TV-show.html#ixzz3pXFYoYYa
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He remain George Bush

Dear Saddam Hussein, as muslim we knew every allegation by the devils UK and the US government was a white lie and it is for them to have control over your country's natural resources. Exactly 10 years after Iraq invasion, some good leader across the globe challenged the UN asked them to summon both the US and UK to bring any evidence of WMD found in Iraq with no single picture to show for it. The same US sponsored the ISIS to fall Asad empire now reverse is the case when the boys slaughtered some of their citizens.
Same reason some leader never respect the UN and I like what PUTIN told the UN in the last meeting. Continue to RIP saddam Hussein.

Waiting for the biggest story : How US planned 9/11 attack.

Too late the damage as been done, all we need now is our saviour PUTIN to help us from those blood sucking U.S

Apologies.......not accepted. After all that reggae, you want to start playing the blues now abi? Nansense!

Can you imagine, after all the lives were wasted, so many wars , economy bastardized ISIS killings etc, only for him to say sorry only? lie lie



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It takes more courage to admit a mistake and to apologize than it takes to swim with sharks.
The mistake has been made, its now time for solution..

LastSurvivor:
It takes more courage to admit a mistake and to apologize than it takes to swim with sharks:: LastSurvivor 2015

Really? The Iraq war is the one of worst disasters of recent times. The instability and chaos produced ISIS which BH follows now.The blood from that war still runs today.

Is the world safer today?

We certainly lived in a much more safer world before the Iraqi invasion... That was the fuel for terrorists groups.

After much damage have done? There will be a judgement day.



The seed they sow will never eradicated from its ground unless they cut off all its roots (which is to stop sponsoring and arming mentality so called Islamic militants). You can't cut the branches of a tree and expect it to stop growing another branches.

He should tell that to millions ,especially the children and women, murdered in that orchestrated war.

Behold Nigeria, this people can go any length to have you divided. Pls seek o ye thy Lord, Apply wisdom and don't allow ye to be pushed


I can't imagine the damage caused in that region. Tony Blair should also apologize to Nigerians, ISIS has also triggered more confident in Boko Haram threats.

My advice, Tony Blair should go to Iraq and Apologise and not do so in his home country, then he would know if apology accepted or declined

It is most unfortunate for Blair to be regretting his unholy Alliance with Bush just to eliminate Sadam hussein with fabricated fiction that exists only in their imagination that Sadam built WMD. Now the vestige of their stupidity is what is fast destroying the Arab and middle east today . May the blood of all innocent souls that has been taken and continue to be taking haunts them till they come clean and be reasonable in their foreign policy pursuits. God is watching.

We already knew the Iraqi war was a farce by the Bush war mongers..

Quite unfortunate


Sorry doesn't turn back the hands of time... Neither does it fix the damages caused by the after effect of their stupid'ity

Icc would not pick him and the foolish Bush up and send dem to jail o. Iraq, Afghanistan, syria and many other country are in ruins due to actions from the western fools looking for cheap oil and domination

When will Gowon apologise for an unnecessary war that killed 3 million people for nothing?
The war was totally unnecessary because Gowon could have simply implemented Aburi. He failed and instead started the war.
Fastforward 45 years after, Biafra is issue still very much around.
So why did Gowon launch that war?

The US and British got it all wrong in Iraq.
1.) Saddam didn't have nukes.
2.) Saddam's Ba'ath government had no ties with Al queda and taliban.

The US were angry about 9/11 they just took it out on previous enemies and use their loss of loved ones as an excuse to invade Iraq, Americans were understandably afraid of their muslim enemies having nukes after 9/11 so i don't blame them.

The only thing they got right was Bin laden(whom they even armed against Russians pre-9/11) and they would have taken him down without bulldozing their way through institutional governments in the middle east. This is why Russian and China are now very much respected than the US.

My brother take your time to research very well. 9/11 was blatant lie, an article well screened play by the US to cover up all their evil act. Take your time to research very well and the truth shall set you free. 9/11 remain the biggest scam of all time.

ArodeTsolaye:
The US and British got it all wrong in Iraq.
1.) Saddam didn't have nukes.
2.) Saddam's Ba'ath government had no ties with Al queda and taliban.

The US were angry about 9/11 they just took it out on previous enemies and use their loss of loved ones as an excuse to invade Iraq, Americans were understandably afraid of their muslim enemies having nukes after 9/11 so i don't blame them.

The only thing they got right was Bin laden(whom they even armed against Russians pre-9/11) and they have taken him down without bulldozing their way through institutional governments in thr middle east. This is why Russian and China are now very much respected than the US.

madridguy:
Dear Saddam Hussein, as muslim we knew every allegation by the devils UK and the US government was a white lie and it is for them to have control over your country's natural resources. Exactly 10 years after Iraq invasion, some good leader across the globe challenged the UN asked them to summon both the US and UK to bring any evidence of WMD found in Iraq with no single picture to show for it. The same US sponsored the ISIS to fall Asad empire now reverse is the case when the boys slaughtered some of their citizens.
Same reason some leader never respect the UN and I like what PUTIN told the UN in the last meeting. Continue to RIP saddam Hussein.

Waiting for the biggest story : How US planned 9/11 attack.

And you will see some apes blaming Islam when the US is behind everything. Thats why i dont like Buhari's relationship with them

If Tony Blair can apologise to the Iraqis. Why can't Gowon apologise to igbos for Nigeria to move on

Just "sorry" after thousands dead!
I hope he is charged with war crime.

carnegiefan:
When will Gowon apologise for an unnecessary war that killed 3 million people for nothing?
The war was totally unnecessary because Gowon could have simply implemented Aburi. He failed and instead started the war.
Fastforward 45 years after, Biafra is issue still very much around.
So why did Gowon launch that war?

Ojukwu should be blamed instead.

Its not their fault, they have been blind folded with fallacious reports.

abduljabbar4:


And you will see some apes blaming Islam when the US is behind everything. Thats why i dont like Buhari's relationship with them

ARIZONA123:
. Tell Gowon to say sorry to Igbos and Biafran aggitation will be dead

Biafra agitation today is from those that lost election. If GEJ won, there will be no agitation.

The truth is gradually coming out.
The west targets islamic nation in their quest to suppress the religion but the truth shall prevail.

Lalasticlala

Posterity will judge blair and bush for the crime committed against humanity if icc can't try them because they are above aboard.

Any sane mind would know from the onset that U.S and U.K foreign policy is anti-humanity.

I remember the end of a letter obasanjo wrote to margaret thatcher during apatheid. He wrote "at the of all these, my conscience will be clear and my hands clean from shedding of innocent blood but will yours?"

Ok

Ok