Blair off the hook again but barbs begin to stick

[hightime]

LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites), cleared by a government-appointed inquiry of exaggerating intelligence to justify war on Iraq (news - web sites), has once again lived up to his nickname of "Teflon Tony".


But, forced into a corner over the Iraq, Blair is certainly not the once-indisputable authority he was and resignation calls could return to haunt him if his ruling Labour Party were to lose two crucial by-elections later this week.


After Wednesday's report lambasted the state of British intelligence on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, Blair accepted responsibility but still insisted the war to remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) had been right.


But it remains doubtful whether the public, or perhaps more importantly Labour, will see Lord Robin Butler's findings as the end of the issue.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1538&u=/afp/20040714/wl_uk_afp/britain_politics_blair_040714160711&printer=1

[the Kelly Gang]

1. hmm..and another leader will incur the wrath of MI5..we will see

how they exact their revenge.

[Manix]

2. The Brits won't let Blair off the hook easily, stay tuned.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. This is more serious than the media is saying

Tony was stepping way over the line by supporting this Iraq thing in the first place. Somehow and for some reason he must of been convinced that although the premise/excuse was bullshit, it would turn out OK for him in the end anyway.

Could it have been the frenzy and panic following 9/11 that could have clouded his judgment on this? Or is he simply that stupid all the time?
God only knows.

[alilenas]

4. Blair will pay no cost

Blair is largely impervious. He will not go until he wishes to go. There is no mechanism by which he can be removed any longer and he is blinded by his religious zealotry. The British left have nowhere to go but to Blair and are still to shell shocked by the Thatcher years to anything but support him. No one, including Gordon Brown, has the support to displace him.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Hi, alilenas, welcome to DU -- and I agree with your assessment...

of British politics.

[yellowcanine]

5. Nice headline - "off the hook but barbs sticking" - applies to shrub also,

hopefully in November we will hook him and land him before shipping him back to the Crawford pig farm.

[JoFerret]

7. Steve Bell

[dArKeR]

8. FAMILIES' FURY AS 'NO-ONE TO BLAME'

By Steve Purcell

Families of British soldiers killed in Iraq today expressed their anger and bitterness at the findings of the Butler report.

Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon was killed in Basra last month, said: "It's time for that man (Mr Blair) to get out now. This proves my son went to war over a pack of damn lies.

"He (Mr Blair) has blood on his hands, he is a disgrace. He should take out the rest of the troops now before some other kid gets killed."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=14427009%26method=full%26siteid=50143%26headline=families%2d%2dfury%2das%2d%2dno%2done%2dto%2dblame%2d-name_page.html

[Gloria]

9. Over the weekend on the BBC World Service, I heard a segment

previewing this week for Tony. At the end, the reporter was asked if he wanted to resign. Reporter said, Yes, Blair wants to go...he's tired, etc. but he wants to wait to go out on a "high" note...the question is, the reporter said, when will he get the opening to leave on a "high note"?