Blair admits Iraq a "disaster"

[pourts]

Iraq is a 'disaster' admits Blair
By TIM SHIPMANLast updated at 22:00pm on 17th November 2006

Tony Blair admitted that British intervention in Iraq has been a disaster last night - sending shockwaves through Westminster.

In his frankest admission about the war to date, Mr Blair admitted that Western forces have been powerless to stop the descent into violence.

The Prime Minister stopped short of accepting the blame for plunging Iraq to the brink of civil war - blaming instead the insurgent uprising that has killed 125 British troops.

But his admission in an interview with the Arab new channel Al Jazeera will be seen as an historic climbdown for Mr Blair, who has always fought to put a positive gloss on often disastrous events.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...in_article_id=417121&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490

Why did he choose to say this on Al-Jazeera?

EDIT: Apparently it was english language Al-Jazeera, so I guess that makes it a little better.

 

[scoober78]

I would tread very carefully here guys...please keep in mind that our brothers and sisters are still there dying. Not trying to shut down conversation, but think before you speak. Lots of potential for error here...

 

[thull]

I would tread very carefully here guys...please keep in mind that our brothers and sisters are still there dying. Not trying to shut down conversation, but think before you speak. Lots of potential for error here...

with ya for the most part, but lets not be pretentious either. to quote A4s from a non-related thread, : "Someone calls a spade a spade and it makes some of you go ballistic."

We're doing the best we can, but it's no beauty pageant over there.

 

[wrk]

I would tread very carefully here guys...please keep in mind that our brothers and sisters are still there dying. Not trying to shut down conversation, but think before you speak. Lots of potential for error here...

I think you should think before you speak. Calling the way the war has been run a disaster has absolutely nothing to do with the people on the ground fighting and dying, and does nothing to diminish their sacrifice. Or would you rather more and more of our "brothers and sisters" die as we all smile and say that the war is going great and continue on the same course?

 

[scoober78]

I think you should think before you speak. Calling the way the war has been run a disaster has absolutely nothing to do with the people on the ground fighting and dying, and does nothing to diminish their sacrifice. Or would you rather more and more of our "brothers and sisters" die as we all smile and say that the war is going great and continue on the same course?

OK here smart guy...

First. I said nothing about my opinion of the war, one way or another. I also said nothing to prohibit anyone else from expressing their opinion about it. What I did, was remind some people in uniform that this is a public forum and that there are certain views that we as officers should not express in one. The initial post could easily lend itself to people saying some things that they shouldn't. Period.

Second, I made no claims about any opinion of mine regarding the actual conduct of the war, or whether we should continue as we are or change tactics. (ie. are we making tactical and strategic errors on the ground) If you'd taken the time to look a little, you would see that I have in fact posted several times about my opinions on these matters.

Third, to insinuate that I would rather support a status quo which endangered the lives of my fellow servicemen than speak up about it, even in sarcasm, is absolutely asinine and tremendously insulting.

I stand by my warning.


<EDIT> JUST TO REPEAT MYSELF!!!!

Not trying to shut down conversation, but think before you speak.

 

[sarnav]

Unless you have been over there you are getting most of your knowledge from the news, I agree with Scoober, nothing good can come from arguing about this on airwarriors.
SN

 

[wrk]

blah blah blah

You made it very clear what your opinion was. I bet if the article had been about someone saying that the war was going great and we did everything right you wouldn't have made your original comment.

 

[thull]

I see a slight miscommunication here...Scoob, your original post was a bit broad, and could be miscontrued to imply that negative talk about the war would somehow be an affront on our servicemembers. The fact is, it is a bit of a disaster, and we should be able to openly discuss it while being respectful of the effort itself.

After you cleared up what you meant with regard to officers (specifically, not openly denouncing particular members of a public office I believe is what you meant), we should all be in the same boat.

 

[Brett327]

You made it very clear what your opinion was. I bet if the article had been about someone saying that the war was going great and we did everything right you wouldn't have made your original comment.

WRK, stop being so antagonistic (that's my job). Scoob makes a good point given the sensitive nature of the thread topic. Open criticism of the war is not a good idea, but that doesn't eliminate discussion on the posted article. Why don't we stop squabbling about this and proceed with some thoughtful discussion.

Brett

 

[Flash]

Iraq is a 'disaster' admits Blair
By TIM SHIPMANLast updated at 22:00pm on 17th November 2006

Tony Blair admitted that British intervention in Iraq has been a disaster last night - sending shockwaves through Westminster.

In his frankest admission about the war to date, Mr Blair admitted that Western forces have been powerless to stop the descent into violence.

The Prime Minister stopped short of accepting the blame for plunging Iraq to the brink of civil war - blaming instead the insurgent uprising that has killed 125 British troops.

But his admission in an interview with the Arab new channel Al Jazeera will be seen as an historic climbdown for Mr Blair, who has always fought to put a positive gloss on often disastrous events.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...in_article_id=417121&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490

Why did he choose to say this on Al-Jazeera?

EDIT: Apparently it was english language Al-Jazeera, so I guess that makes it a little better.

Eh, not so fast. Not as clear as the headline suggests:

"But Downing Street insisted his views had been misrepresented and that he had not made "some kind of admission"."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6160466.stm

 

[pourts]

Eh, not so fast. Not as clear as the headline suggests:

"But Downing Street insisted his views had been misrepresented and that he had not made "some kind of admission"."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6160466.stm

First, I should have elaborated, but the point in posting this was to ask/comment on why Blair said this on Al-Jazeera vice another TV station. Though it being English Al-Jazeera mitigates that a bit.

In this day and age, PERCEPTION is REALITY. It doesn't matter what exactly he said, when headlines all over the world say "Blair says Iraq a disaster." I think it is safe to say we are losing the media was with the jihadists. I found this similar to what Alberto Fernandez did in terms of its effect.

But now I think this was pretty pointless to post and I am going to go watch Ohio State-Michigan now. :icon_mi_1

 

[cwyx]

This is what the jihadists want! they dont want to "defeat" us in iraq, they just need to kill enough americans (or brits) so that politicians will pull us out and JIHAD WINS! Man i bet the jihadists could smell sweet victory right now with pelosi as speaker. I wish america at home had the same guts as our soldiers so that we can just finish the job we started over there so that the jihadists dont have a safe haven in iraq and so that they DONT FOLLOW US HOME!!! Comments like blairs arent helping!

 

[IRfly]

First, I should have elaborated, but the point in posting this was to ask/comment on why Blair said this on Al-Jazeera vice another TV station. Though it being English Al-Jazeera mitigates that a bit.

In this day and age, PERCEPTION is REALITY. It doesn't matter what exactly he said, when headlines all over the world say "Blair says Iraq a disaster." I think it is safe to say we are losing the media was with the jihadists. I found this similar to what Alberto Fernandez did in terms of its effect.

But now I think this was pretty pointless to post and I am going to go watch Ohio State-Michigan now. :icon_mi_1

Until reality becomes reality. And the Middle East as a whole much better appreciates the reality of Iraq than the U.S. as a whole, even without Blair's statement.

 

[wrk]

WRK, stop being so antagonistic (that's my job). Scoob makes a good point given the sensitive nature of the thread topic. Open criticism of the war is not a good idea, but that doesn't eliminate discussion on the posted article. Why don't we stop squabbling about this and proceed with some thoughtful discussion.

Brett

I'd have to disagree that open criticism is not a good idea, but you're right, I'm being pretty darned antagonistic, I told myself I'd stay out of the political threads when I started here, and I probably should. Trying to argue left leaning politics in this place is like trying to push a freight train up hill.

 

[Brett327]

I'd have to disagree that open criticism is not a good idea, but you're right, I'm being pretty darned antagonistic, I told myself I'd stay out of the political threads when I started here, and I probably should. Trying to argue left leaning politics in this place is like trying to push a freight train up hill.

I'd like to hear your defense of a Naval Officer openly criticizing DOD or Executive branch policy WRT an ongoing war on a public forum.

Brett