The word honour has never been more important.
If he possessed a shred of it — or indeed a smidgeon of self-respect — Tony Blair would know that the knighthood announced in the New Year’s Honours List has already been rendered meaningless by the furious response of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Britons.
More than 740,000 people have signed petitions calling on the Queen to cancel his knighthood as a Royal Order of the Garter member, England’s oldest, most senior order of chevalry.
In the petition, Blair must be held accountable for his war crimes. His narcissism is evident in his refusal to acknowledge the petition. I consider it symbolic of his complete disgrace.
Deceitful
No words are sufficient to express my disgust at the treatment of servicemen who did their duty in Northern Ireland, only to be accused of committing crimes by serving their country — while, at the Blair government’s instigation, republican terrorists were exonerated.
Many young soldiers died — or sustained terrible injuries — as a result of Blair’s disastrous, deceitful Iraq War venture.
The waste of such lives is shattering — for their comrades and commanding officers, but most of all for their families. It was a feeling of deep sadness and despair that lingered with me for the rest of my life.
The only thing those families wanted was the one thing that no one could give them — to have their youngster back with them.
The word honour has always meant more than it ever did. Tony Blair could have been able to see that the New Year’s Honours List knighthood announcement was meaningless if he even had a little bit of it.
Tony Blair has to shoulder much of their grief. But it’s a responsibility that he never shied away from.
The military invasion of another country should be considered a last resort. Only those who are involved in planning or execution of it will be able to realize their goals.
This allows troops to achieve their goals with minimal bloodshed.
This was not true in Iraq, March 2003. The ultimate objective of British troops sent into Iraq in March 2003 was not clear to them. This was an incredibly stupid mistake that resulted in a huge loss of lives among the Iraqis as well as the deaths of 179 British soldiers. It is not to be taken lightly.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks in America were the catalyst for the invasion. Blair’s psychological background is where the true roots of British complicity with the Iraq misadventure lie.
In 1997, when he was elected prime minister, he overtook negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland that John Major had begun.
Blair played around, wanting to give his celebrity spin.
Sinn Fein, the political wing, quickly realized that the new PM was addicted by fame, and was a man who believed everything he was told.
He was easily manipulated by republican bomb-masters. Blair did not know that the peace accord was poorer.
The military invasion of another country should be considered a last resort. Only those who are involved in planning or execution of it will be able to realize their goals. In March 2003, that was not true in Iraq. The ultimate goal was unknown to British troops when they arrived in Iraq. Pictured: Lt Colonel Tim Collins speaks to troops in Iraq in 2004
By then he regarded himself as part pop star, part messiah — an international statesman greater even than Nelson Mandela. He worshipped at his own shrine.
Blair and Cherie, I think, began to view themselves as new royals. Everyone who watched their preenings at the Millennium Dome, New Year’s Eve 1999 as they welcomed the Queen of Edinburgh and Duke to an event celebrating New Labour was aware.
Blair was aware that he was not a D list celebrity. Blair sought reflected glory and hung on to the coattails of U.S. presidents.
This is how Republican George W. Bush was shocked to discover that a British Labour PM would not only be willing, but also eager, to answer any American request.
This greed for fame was what led to disastrous blunders like those in Iraq. Blair behaved like it was his fate to save the Middle East. Blair seemed to believe that his blessing would guarantee success.
It is a bitter irony that Iraq needed our assistance. Britain could have made a better choice and helped to prevent the Islamic State from forming.
The security agencies knew that Saddam Hussein could be removed from Iraq by a highly-organised and respected force.
Invasion
The British and U.S. might have supported the Iraqi army to maintain peace through democratic elections. This low-key strategy would have overthrown a dictator and maintained stability, saving hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian lives.
Britain instead, using the dodgy dossier as a justification and citing fears about non-existent weapons, joined a futile invasion.
Cicero, a Roman philosopher warned 2000 years ago that armies abroad were of no use if there was not prudent advice at home.
After Republican George W. Bush became president in 2000, he was extremely surprised that the British Labour Prime Minister was willing and eager to help. Tony Blair, arriving at Bush’s Prairie Chapel Ranch Ranch on April 5, 2002.
Tony Blair, George Bush and others had no similar vision. They refused to be stopped from invading Iraq. The advisers were given orders to show the facts.
In 2003 on the eve to battle, I made an unplanned speech to my troops. It reminded them that they were not conquerors but liberators.
Then I said, “Let’s all go home” and left Iraq as a better country for having been there.
Both of these things were impossible for us.
It is destructive
The Iraqi population was treated in the country as refugees. Even worse, the army of Iraqi refugees was demobilized, resulting in a disorganized fighting force that became an unorganized bunch of guerrilla groups.
This decision is hard to fault. I liken it to throwing a lighted box of matches into a petrol dump — incredibly stupid and destructive, a criminal act of murderous recklessness.
This week, many people have called on Tony Blair’s prosecution. It is a difficult mission, I am sorry. He was part of an even larger coalition and he followed without doubt the White House directives.
This week, many people have called on Tony Blair’s prosecution. It is a difficult mission, I am sorry. He was part a bigger coalition and he followed without doubt the White House directives. Photo: Tony Blair speaking to soldiers at Basra, 2004
The UK played a supporting role in this drama, but the blame lies with Bush’s administration. Without bringing charges against Blair’s master, the U.S. President, it would be pointless.
His incompetence should be considered a crime. Blair would face trial for his incompetence, which would likely be based on the evidence of celebrity excesses and arrogance.
A decent man would realise this and even now turn down that tainted knighthood — ironically the personal gift of a monarch whose country he took to war on the premise of a lie.
Colonel Tim Collins OBE served as Commanding Officer for the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment in the Iraq War.