Row over conflict's legality as PM/Blair retreats

[tinnypriv]

Row over conflict's legality as PM retreats
* Mystery over Straw's BBC role as clamour engulfs Attorney General *
* Powell insists Niger WMD evidence was too weak to disclose to UN *

Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General, was under mounting pressure last night to state whether the war in Iraq was illegal because no weapons of mass destruction (WMD) have been found.

Amid growing signs that the Government is preparing the ground for no actual weapons being discovered, MPs warned that the legal basis for the conflict would be destroyed if no WMD were uncovered.

...

In Britain, the Government's relations with the BBC ­ damaged by the row over whether No 10 "sexed up" a dossier on WMD ­ were further complicated when it emerged that Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, may have been the source of the BBC report about Whitehall fears that no WMD would be found. He is believed to have met Andrew Marr, the BBC's political editor, shortly before he broadcast his report.

...

Brian Donohoe, Labour MP for Cunninghame South, said he only supported the war because he believed there was an "immediate threat of Saddam utilising WMD". He said: "If I don't see evidence that is overwhelming in terms of WMD having been there, I'm not going to call for it, but I do believe the position of the Prime Minister in those circumstances is untenable and that he would have to resign."

...

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=423532 (HOT!)

[Dudley_DUright]

1. War Criminal Blair

It has a nice ring to it. Almost as good as Supreme War Criminal Bush.

[acmavm]

2. My favorite part of the article is:

Ministers claimed the Attorney General had not relied on WMD as a legal basis for war. "We were very careful not to get trapped into saying that," one said. "The legal case was based on Iraq's failure to comply with previous UN resolutions, to account for WMD that everyone in the international community accepts that it possessed."

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These people are nuts if they think that the world has collective amnesia and do not remember the words they used when they announced why we just had to attack Iraq.

[indictrichardperle]

6. yea sure

i remember it well "Iraq can violate a UN resolution within 45 minutes, they are a clear and present danger"

WMDs, naw, that was never used as a pre-text, was it :eyes:

Poodle is Nixon, he needs to realize it.

[MoonAndSun]

3. Is this the first time the word "resign" has come up regarding

Blair?? It may open it up for more people talking about resignation.

[tinnypriv]

5. No

Blair convinced the Labour party to vote for war by threatening to resign (behind closed doors), if he lost the vote.

[Emboldened Chimp]

7. An MP asked Blair if he would resign

if WMDs weren't found in yesterday's Q&A session in the House of Commons. Blair seemed rather humble in his non-answer.

[Cheswick2.0]

4. he thinks Blair should resign

but he won't call for it. What is up with that?

[DFLforever]

8. He's expects Blair to do the right thing - fall on his sword -

when the time comes.

[Code_Name_D]

9. Its a trial baloon.

He wants to see who solutes it.

The fact that it has been mentioned is vary signifcent.

But I still stand my my argument that the only way we will be able to impeach Bush, is to try him defacto (through blare) in a British court. The Repugs will not even alow us to investigate here, let alone bring it to court.

So, we will bring it to court over their first, then throw the rulling in their face. And I bet you it will burn like the cross on their fourheads. (I can almost hear it now. ssssssssssssssssssssss)

[Exultant Democracy]

10. If I was Blair

I would place all the blame at Dubya's door step. He should claim the U.S. knew that the information on Uranium from Nigeria was false, but that they allowed the British to move forward without informing them of the truth. Blair can be as charming as Clinton when he wants to, and if he used the Chimp as a scape goat he might be able to deflect most of the damaging attacks.