"Dear Sir
Oliver Kamm (The Archbishop wins the prize for simplistic nonsense, 3 September) rightly emphasises that Iraq was a charnel house above ground and a mass grave below. Such debate will increase as we near the 10th anniversary next year of what we call the liberation of Iraq and the 25th anniversary of Halabja.
The Kurds of Iraq are especially grateful to Tony Blair, and John Major who established the no-fly zone in 1991 which saved us from extinction. We lost hundreds of thousands to Saddam's genocidal campaign. We can now contribute to debates like this and respectfully disagree with Archbishop Tutu about ignoring the evils of Saddam.
It is partly because of such misconceptions that an e-petition has been launched calling for the genocide against the Iraqi Kurds to be recognised (www.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31014).
We were Saddam's victims, as were other Iraqis and we all know that he would have continued his campaign of oppression and killing had he been able. Things are much better for us and for the vast majority of Iraqis now, even if mistakes were made by Coalition forces after its intervention in Iraq. Differences on Iraq are very deep in the UK and elsewhere.
I only ask that our views on our country are heard. But the most important task is encouraging deeper and broader cultural and commercial connections for mutual benefit and to help us build a democratic and federal Iraq so that the sacrifice of so many in Britain and in Iraq is not wasted.
Yours faithfully
Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman
Kurdistan Regional Government High Representative to the UK"
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I agree with Bayan Rahman. Far from being 'a war criminal, Tony Blair helped to save the Kurdish nation in Northern Iraq from being wiped out by genocide. In a visit to Halabja (in Kurdistan), I saw myself the damage wreaked on the Kurds by the 1988 mustard gas attack by Saddam. Both the actions of John Major and Tony Blair stopped Saddam from more chemical weapon attacks.
It is also worth remembering that Mr Blair also did much to stop the conflict in Northern Ireland. And, I say this as a Tory.
Mr Tutu's criticism of Tony Blair is disappointing gesture politics at its worst.
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A good piece - so many who are ready to condemn Tony Blair as a war criminal seem to forget the overwhelming parliamentary and public support he had at the time.
ReplyDeleteA big part of the problem with international politics is the near impossibility of the the United Nations giving a clear indication on their support or otherwise for any decisive course of action. Hence nations have to inevitably ignore them on occasion - as we did in the Falklands Campaign.
Desmond Tutu appears to be trying to get some limelight by making a few headline catching comments to try and revive his fading celebrity. I suspect we may see him on Celebrity Big Brother in the not too distant future.
As a Tory you give Tony Blair credit for his role in Northern Ireland - which is gracious of you, and of course he did play a big role. As a Labour member though, I feel that the Good Friday agreement is in many ways John Major's 'legacy' and lasting contribution to history - and would give him most of the credit.