The Iraq Inquiry : Corbyn’s Leftist Utopia

Listening to Jeremy Corbyn’s response to the Chilcot report reminded me why he (Labour) must never

be elected as our Commander-in-Chief (under Her Majesty) but before I dissect what Corbyn actually

said, it would be valuable to take note of what Douglas Murray, Associate Director of The Henry

Jackson Society, said in his reflection of Chilcot:

“It is an outrage for people who have been apologists for the worst regimes in the world to currently

try to portray themselves as moral heroes. Yes, I’m thinking of Jeremy Corbyn and his cronies and

their dalliances with Moscow and Iran. In any case, whatever your view is on Iraq, why should the

Chinese and the Russians have the ability to set British Foreign Policy with a veto on UK decision

making through the UN? Russia and countries in the Middle East don’t shy away from using military

force when they try to clear the stage to allow them to set the agenda.”

Murray also said and I quote “…it’s worth remembering that polls showed public support for Tony

Blair in 2003.” He’s right of course – despite the apparent outrage from anti-war protestors and tree-

hugging lefties, Tony Blair was re-elected two times after his first 1997 victory making him one of this

country’s most successful Prime Ministers of modern times.

Let’s face the fact - terrorists hated us well before we put one pair of British or American boots on the

ground. We reacted to their attack on us. How difficult is that to remember? Selective memory by

those on the political left is becoming a habit.

"Military action in Iraq not only turned a humanitarian crisis into a humanitarian disaster, it also

convulsed the entire Middle East region and beyond."

Mr Corbyn seems to believe and is happy to portray, Iraq was some blissful holiday resort. Last time I

checked Baghdad wasn’t topping the list of holiday destinations and isn’t the Benidorm of The Gulf.

He said "It was the original decision to follow the United States President into an in-provoked war and

impose a colonial-style occupation that led to ever further disaster"

Hang on one moment. September 11th, 2001 and the attack that day came before (yes, before!) any

military action on behalf of Great Britain or the USA. Any provocation here was by the terrorists who

flew those planes into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and the one that came down in

Pennsylvania. They hit ‘us’ first, Mr Corbyn – not the other way round.

This causal reversal of facts is something the Labour leader isn’t alone in doing. Many anti-Bush, anti-

Blair and generally, anti-war folk constantly make assuming one bright autumn morning George W.

Bush and Tony Blair joined forces and decided they fancied sending our greatest military might into

the Middle East for the heck of it.

Jeremy Corbyn went on to explain his utopian attitude to foreign affairs and how he would like our

‘special relationship’ with the United States by saying we ought to have "a more open and transparent

relationship with the United States."

Good luck with that!! The USA did not become the greatest superpower on the planet by having an

open-book policy on its military strategy or foreign policy and certainly isn’t going to become

‘transparent’ with a President like Donald Trump in The White House., who (and I tend to agree)

believes in keeping our enemy guessing and don't reveal every plan or strategy in advance. Who will

benefit from this proposed ‘transparency’ – our enemy?!

Corbyn would like Britain to have "a foreign policy based on upholding international law and the

authority of the United Nations."

So, when Russian planes or submarines are provoking British airspace and waters or if MI5 reports to

Downing St. of a potential imminent attack we’re supposed to gather our MPs and have a debate in

Parliament? And, consult with lawyers and check we’re obeying UN regulations?!

The United Nations is about as useful and bureaucratic and undemocratic as the European Union and

we all know what Britain thinks of that institute.

However, my favourite piece of Corbyn utopia was when he described how we ought to radically

change how we decide to engage in war requiring "we must call for full restoration of Cabinet and to

give Parliament the decisive say over any future decision to go to war through a War Powers Act."

Typical! And this sums up Mr Corbyn’s attitude to leadership perfectly – a man allergic to decision

making resorting to committee-style chit chat in The Commons because, after all, ISIS will happily

wait while we consult debate and chew the fat. A real leader; a real Prime Minister needs to be able to

make calm and rational decisions in the name of national security often without the luxury of a

Parliamentary debate. Jeremy Corbyn is not that man.

Sadly, as in life, mistakes will be made but providing we address them, learn from them and move on

better and stronger together (with our American friends) we need to stop this self-inflicted guilt trip

and over-analysis in this ever-increasing inquiry-culture. After all, Sir John Chilcot is just one man

with one team. He isn't Jesus and it's not the Bible nor is it a legally binding document. We don't have

to agree with everything in his report and we can challenge elements of it. It is not gospel. It is a report.

Finally, I'm going to put my head above the parapet and say I do have sympathy for Tony Blair because

I don't believe he was hungry for war. This was a man dedicated to peace in Northern Ireland and

brought our nation together forcing The Queen to react to the death of Princess Diana in 1997 within

months of winning the first of his three victorious and historic elections. And, this from a Member of

the Conservative Party - I'm a true-blue Tory at heart but I will always give credit where credit is due.

He is guilty of nothing more than cherishing the relationship with our closest ally and friend and

wanted to protect the free world post 9/11 and thought he was going the right thing.

If mistakes were made surely we need to acknowledge and respect them and learn how best to avoid

them in the future but in times of war – when your closest ally is being attacked and where its

President is witnessing over 3,000 of his own countrymen and women being slaughtered on live

television, there will always be points to reflect upon in hindsight.

Those you dislike Tony Blair or President Bush or his father, for that matter, are usually those

disconnected from politics in the first place who base their feelings on superficial elements like the way

a man speaks, his persona, his background, personal wealth, where’s he’s from (Texas and the

stereotype that State reflects, in the case of the Bush Presidents) and often never on substance, content

and actual policy. That’s just plain ignorance and should be humoured as such. I know, and have met,

many anti-Bush people who, when you tackle their argument and ask them for facts to support their

belief they’re often unable to deliver, or worse, refer to bias media propaganda.

I hope this long-awaited report can now be a watershed to the ghost of Iraq and we can try and judge a

leader on their entire time in office and not hold every future military intervention or case of defence

of the realm by it.

As Douglas Murray of The Henry Jackson Society said “one failed war does not make all wars wrong.

We tend to only think of those interventions that have failed.”

Zachary Damon

July 8, 2016