Sir, – Love him or hate him, you have to admire Tony Blair.
In his first public reaction to the Chilcot report, he accepted “full and complete responsibility” for Britain’s role in the invasion of Iraq.
In every pronouncement since then, he has rolled back on some little part of that acceptance.
I fully expect that, by the end of the year, he will be categorically denying that the invasion ever took place. – Yours, etc,
DAVE ROBBIE,
Booterstown, Co Dublin.
Sir, – In summary, the Chilcot report was written by people who know better, about people who should have known better, for people who expected better. – Yours, etc,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan, Co Dublin.
Sir, – What Tony Blair’s war in Iraq and Brexit have in common are an overinflated idea of Britain’s place in the world and very bad planning. – Yours, etc,
KENNETH BUCHHOLTZ,
Ennistymon, Co Clare.
Sir, – In response to the Chilcot report, a defiant Tony Blair insisted that the world was, and is, a safer place following the removal of Saddam Hussein. May I suggest that the removal of Tony Blair prior to the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003 would also have made the world a safer place? – Yours, etc,
TOM COOPER,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – On the one hand, Tony Blair expresses “sorrow, regret and apology” for failures in Iraq; on the other hand, he says if he were “back in the same place, with the same information”, he would take the same decision. Is it any wonder people’s minds are in an Alastair Campbell-contrived spin? – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL CULLEN
Sandycove,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – It seems an inescapable fact that Tony Blair and George W Bush stand totally discredited, as do the British and US establishments. Will we see them pursued and dealt with for their actions, so comprehensively detailed in the Chilcot report? Will those who were promoted and decorated for their participation in this tragic and ongoing slaughter have their “honours” rescinded.
Nobody has been arrested. No censures have been put in place, despite the monumental failings detailed. I see a large carpet and brush approaching. – Yours, etc,
DEREK MacHUGH,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.