A former key advisor to Tony Blair says the ex-Prime Minister has nothing to apologise for in regards to his role in the Iraq War.
John McTernan, who worked as Director of Political Operations during Blair’s premiership, says the Labour Government’s actions were “just”, two decades on from the conflict.
The decision to go to war was hotly contested as many questioned belief from US and UK intelligence suggesting Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.
The two nations, along with a cabal of allies, set about toppling Hussein in a move that has been widely criticised since.
Tony Blair is facing criticism for his role in the Iraq War, 20 years on from the conflict
GB News
Speaking to GB News, John McTernan said Tony Blair should have no regrets over his decision to side with the US and send British troops to the Middle East.
He said: “What is there to apologise for? For liberating Iraq? For defending the United Nations? There’s nothing to apologise for.”
Challenged by Andrew Pierce over the thousands of deaths resulting from the death, McTernan claims those affected were “killed by terrorists”.
“This is the extraordinary situation with modern British politics. Tony Blair stood down as Prime Minister in 2007 and yet everything apparently is his fault,” he said.
Tony Blair and George W. Bush led the efforts against Iraq
PA
“The Iraq War was a just war. The Iraq War, we know, 20 years on was not an illegal war, it was a legal war, and the Iraq War actually was a defensive of the United Nations’ weapon spectres.
“Every single country in the West had the same intelligence. The Germans and the French decided not to be involved, they did come in immediately afterwards to help scoop up the reconstruction.”
It comes as MPs commemorated British personnel killed in the Iraq War on the 20th anniversary of the conflict.
Labour’s Dan Jarvis led tributes to the 179 British lives lost during Operation Telic, the codename for UK military operations in Iraq from March 2003.
Former soldier Jarvis, who served in the Parachute Regiment and was deployed twice in Iraq, also used the late-night House of Commons debate to reflect on his experiences.
At the time, MPs backed then prime minister Tony Blair’s call for war despite widespread public protests.
Jarvis, MP for Barnsley Central, said it is understandable differing views are still held on the decision to deploy military forces in Iraq and the role the UK played.
But he noted he wanted to focus his remarks on commemorating those who “stepped forward to serve and those who didn’t come home”.
Jarvis reflected on life in the desert and spoke of the “quiet fear” ahead of the deployment and the “resolute determination to do our jobs and to look out for our soldiers”.
He told the Commons: “In total, 179 lives were lost with families and loved ones left to grieve and carry the pain of loss for the rest of their lives.”
Jarvis paid tribute to two men “who I will be thinking about tonight” who died.
He explained: “Private Kelly, of A company, three Para. Andy was 18 years old. And Major Bacon – Matt was an outstanding officer in the Intelligence Corps and a friend from Sandhurst.
“I will never forget them nor all of those who fell.”