"Pinocchio" Blair's Lies Unravel

BUSH AND Blair's charade that their imperialist war on Iraq was provoked by Saddam Hussein's possession and threatened use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) has exploded in their faces.

A recent NOP poll says most respondents in Britain believe Blair lied about the supposed threat. What's more, 68% believe the Butler Inquiry into WMDs will be another whitewash for the government, like the Hutton Inquiry. 51% thought Blair should resign.

In the US, the failure to find WMDs, the mounting death toll amongst US forces in Iraq, the absence of an 'exit strategy' and a faltering US economy, have sent Bush's high standing in the polls crashing down.

A Time/CNN poll of 8 February revealed that 55% of Americans have "doubts and reservations" about Bush and only 44% believe he can be trusted. Like Blair, Bush has had to concede a congressional commission on the handling of Iraq intelligence.

Occupation

Nine months of occupation of Iraq have failed to reveal WMDs or WMD programmes. Even David Kay, the CIA official in charge of the search for Iraq's WMDs, has resigned, saying they didn't exist.

On BBC TV's Breakfast With Frost (8 February), the former United Nations (UN) chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, likened Blair to a dodgy salesman and castigated him for 'dramatising' intelligence reports before the war.

Now, the warmongers Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Tony Blair and George Bush are all furiously back-pedalling over the WMD issue.

It would be laughable, were it not for the thousands killed or maimed in Iraq, when Tony Blair says the existence of WMDs doesn't matter because the justification for the war was that Saddam was in breach of UN resolutions. However, this excuse conveniently ignores the fact that the UN didn't sanction the war!

And, if breaching UN resolutions is a trigger for armed interventions, can we expect action to be taken by Bush and Blair against Israel (the biggest single recipient of US economic and military aid) which has ignored resolutions calling for an end to occupation of Palestinian territories?

Western ally

And what about Pakistan (a Western ally in the 'war on terrorism'), which has admitted exporting nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea - members of the US designated 'axis of evil'? (see page 7).

The Socialist Party has long argued that Bush and Blair's 'war on terrorism', including the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, was a cover for expanding imperialism.

It is designed to ensure favourable military, political and economic conditions for developing the capitalist world economy for the giant Western-based corporations in order to continue to exploit labour and plunder resources.

Now their web of lies is being exposed for the world's workers and poor to see.

Lord Butler And His Pals

WILL THE Butler inquiry into the government, the intelligence forces and WMDs be a whitewash like Hutton? Well, look who's on the committee.

Back in 1996, Lord Butler, then Sir Robin Butler, secretary to the cabinet told the Scott inquiry into government approval of sales of arms to Iraq, that governments can lie where "it is in the interests of good government."

He also said: "Ministers should not have to resign for civil servants' mistakes of which they are unaware." Perfect material for a Blair-washing inquiry!

Butler also absolved Tory junior minister for defence procurement Jonathan Aitken of any wrongdoing when he'd had part of his hotel bill in Paris paid for by Saudi businessmen linked to a private company he'd previously headed.

Sir John Chilcot is a former intelligence chief and also former head of the Northern Ireland office. Tory MP Michael Mates is a former Northern Ireland minister and present chair of the Commons NI committee. Like Lord Hutton they are both used to secrecy, cover-ups and draconian measures in governing Northern Ireland.

Field Marshal Lord Inge, knight of the garter and former chief of defence staff won't want to rock too many boats. Neither will Ann Taylor, Blairite chair of the intelligence and security committee.

We need a genuine inquiry by elected representatives of ordinary people not another Blairwash by unelected members of the ruling class.

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.