Blair and the War on Terror

Question 1

Why did NATO invade Iraq?

Answer 1

• Saddam Hussein had the weapons of mass destruction, including poison gas which had been used on the Kurds in Northern Iraq in 1991 - Bush + USA were increasingly concerned about the Threat that Saddam Hussein represented to West. He was a brutal dictator and believed he was housing al - Qaeda terrorists

Question 2

Why was there controversy to the initial invasion?

Answer 2

• There was no clear evidence that Iraq was redeveloping WMD, and trying in Iraq with War on Terror was not especially coherent
• Saddam Hussein had no clear links with Al - Qaeda
• Concerns, Bush using it as an excuse to demand ‘regime change’

Question 3

How did Blair negotiate military intervention with the House of Commons?

Answer 3

• Blair addressed a specially convened House of Commons in order to explain why it was essential that Saddam Hussein be removed from power.
• He quoted from an intelligence dossier, passed to him by the joint intelligence committee (SIC) that claimed that there was evidence that Saddam Hussein had the capacity to launch air strikes against Britain - provided justification for invading Iraq.

Question 4

Despite no clear evidence of WMDs, how did the US justify invasion?

Answer 4

• The USA believed that Iraq was not properly co-operating, with in turn of justified an invasion

Question 5

How did Blair show support of US intervention?

Answer 5

• Bush offered Blair a chance to withdraw.
• Blair describing the fight against tyranny as ‘the most fundamental issue of our time’, refused to back out

Question 6

Why did Dr David Kelly commit suicide in July 2003?

Answer 6

• It was leaked, weapons expert working for the ministry of defense, 2 months earlier, Kelly had told BBC journalist, the government exaggerated the findings in 2002 - Gillagan went public accusing the government

Question 7

What were the government’s conclusions over the dossier at the time?

Answer 7

• Blair argued that the evidence in the dossier was not exaggerated
• A report cleared the governments responsibility in the death of David Kelly

Question 8

In what ways could the intervention in Iraq be seen as successful?

Answer 8

• Swift, no huge loss in life, toppled Saddam Hussein and his forces

Question 9

In what ways could this be seen as a failure?

Answer 9

• There was no planning in the future of Iraq, there was chaos and civil war, became an expensive war trying to keep peace.
• Difficult in establishing a democratic country there, huge death tolls, suicide bombing, too dangerous for British troops to go out on patrol
• By 2007, Iraq was a dangerous and fragile place

Question 10

What did the war in Iraq mean for the “special relationship”?

Answer 10

• Iraq war damaged Blair politically
• Special relationship in tact
• Criticisms that Blair was a poodle of the USA

Question 11

The Iraq Inquiry

Answer 11

• Consequences of invasions were felt to this day - March 2003 - no imminent threat
• Policy in Iraq was made flawed
• Agreed to go to war before peace options explored
• Dossier not justified - flawed assessments - not challenged when it should’ve