Tony Blair appeared before the Chilcot Inquiry on 29th January 2010.
He would launch a war that killed over a million people again if he could, he advocated a further war on Iran, he refused to talk to the military families that had lost loved ones in Iraq. He exposed himself as the deluded war monger we all knew he was.
In Manchester we protested at Exchange Square, Blair was booed when he appeared on the TV News Screen. Dr Aziz from Manchester Mab said that BBC stood for the Bush and Blair Corporation. Hussein Al Alak told of how everything is now ruined in Iraq, Nahella Ashraf accused Blair of war crimes.
A collection was taken towards the bounty to be paid to who ever arrest Blair if he were ever to return to Manchester. On his last visit over 50,000 marched calling on him to go.
Tony Blair, you took us into a unnecessary war which killed my brother.
Figures show that millions of innocent Iraqis have been killed. In addition 179 British soldiers are now dead. And you have the audacity to blatantly show no remorse or compassion!
You used the soldiers like pawns, which is disgusting! As if that wasn’t bad enough, you then failed in the after care of their families and injured personnel!
You are not only a disgrace of a man, you are a disgrace to this country!
Even if you were brought to account for your war crimes and made to pay the ultimate price, I would still be left to live with this pain, hate and anger which has engulfed me since my brother was killed in action.
I doubt there will be real justice as you are protected. You can enjoy an easy retirement, while those of us who lost family out there are left with our lives torn apart! My brother the soldier may have been prepared for war, but I am a humanitarian, and I wasn't!
At a conference of 'Resistance and Solidarity' 900 people crammed into the Central Hall in Manchester on 30th January to hear reports from trades unionists, students. pensioners anti racist and anti war campaigners.
Sue Glenton, mother of rebel soldier Joe Glenton, told of how the Army had dropped the charges against Joe of desertion and disobeying his commanding officer.
The conference unanimously agreed to adopt demands for jobs not bombs and the cancellation of Trident replacement.
A fuller report on the Stop the War workshop and the conference is here.
Karla Ellis, whose brother Lee was killed in Iraq, was there. Still campaigning four years later she recently helped deliver to 10 Downing St petitions signed by thousands of people demanding an end to the war in Afghanistan. At the press conference she explained:
"We are there fighting for the politicians agenda. But it is not the politicians who are dying. It is the soldiers losing their lives, its the families losing their loved ones.'
Lily Walker from Tameside, the mother of a serving British soldier who has done four tours in Iraq was also at the Manchester Peace Camp. When asked about the Iraq Enquiry she said,
“I would like to say to Blair that people have lost their lives for the whim of one man. Nothing can justify that. I feel insulted by Tony Blair – my son was only 17 when he joined the army. We were never given all the facts even though we entrusted his well-being to the government. This enquiry is not enough,” said Lilly. “It should set a precedent and apportion blame. If it doesn’t do that then it’s all a waste of money.”
Tony Blair appeared before the Chilcot Inquiry on 29th January 2010.
At a conference of 'Resistance and Solidarity' 900 people crammed into the Central Hall in Manchester on 30th January to hear reports from trades unionists, students. pensioners anti racist and anti war campaigners.
