Another perspective on Tony Blair - by some of Saddam's victims

If you want another perspective on Tony Blair - described as a 'war criminal' by Desmond Tutu of South Africa (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/03/desmond-tutu-snubbed-tony-blair?mobile-redirect=false), read the below letter sent to The Times, by the Kurdish Region UK representative:

"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.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Tony Blair's right about some things

I must admit that I bought the Blair memoirs today (half-price) and watched his BBC interview with Andrew Marr. I am also not afraid to say - even as a staunch Conservative - that I do have some admiration for the former Prime Minister.

Tony Blair was a brilliant Politician in that he transformed the Labour Party, was a great orator and knew how to win elections. But, he was a much worse Prime Minister. He failed to stand up to Gordon Brown, and as a result, important public sector reforms were carried out half-heartedly, if not shelved. He also was unable to convince the British Public about the Iraq war, partly because there was too much 'spinning' - as to what was really going on - from his Downing Street henchmen. Blair did have the grace to acknowledge that in the early years he 'tried to please all the people all of the time'. This had been a mistake and inevitably politics was about difficult choices - many of which people would either support or oppose.



Nevertheless, on TV, Mr Blair was right about a number of things: He reminded the world about the threat of Iran and of extreme Islamism. I agree when he said that military action against Iran may be necessary, in order to stop the fundamentalist regime from acquiring the bomb. He was correct also in stating that Islamist fundamentalism is the major threat of our time: the West had to confront it rather than appease it.

The former PM, also said some important things about the future of the Labour movement. Urging the party not to go back to election defeat 'default mechanism' and revert to 'old Labour', he pleaded with his former colleagues to continue to be radical and embrace public sector reform. Of course, the Labour party are doing the exact opposite: opposing cutting the deficit, setting themselves against change to public services and opposing the people power reforms of local democracy and the big society. Whilst Tony Blair moves towards the centre right of British politics, Labour continues to move leftwards.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com