[Media-watch] Letter sent by families of dead soldier to Blair - Scotsman - 10/11/2004

[Julie-ann Davies]

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3742626

 7:12pm (UK)
'Mr Blair, the Blame Lies at Your Doorstep'

By Tom Whitehead, PA


Here is a full transcript of the letter sent by families of dead soldiers to 
Prime Minister Tony Blair:



Dear Mr Blair,

We present ourselves here today to pay our respect and remember the 
courageous soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of 
their country in Iraq.

Also to voice our support to the brave personnel currently involved in 
operations in Iraq who are dedicated to doing their duty.

We feel that the most effective way of showing our support is to influence a 
prompt safe return with the dignity and respect they so rightly deserve.

When enlisting, servicemen and women sign an oath of allegiance to Her 
Majesty's government. All these people ask in return is that their 
Government acts in an honourable, truthful and responsible manner and only 
deploy troops into the theatre of war to risk their lives when absolutely 
necessary, when all avenues of diplomacy have been exhausted.

To deploy these troops based on deceit of WMD is morally unacceptable. The 
blame lies firmly at your doorstep.

This was a contrived war, a war of option, not necessity.

Where is the accountability, Mr Blair, for the 74 British servicemen killed, 
several injured and over 100,000 innocent Iraqi victims, men, women and 
children dead?

Where is the apology you said you can give? You have not said sorry to one 
single family.

How, Mr Blair, can you walk through all this human carnage with impunity?

We now form part of a campaign with the support of many MPs dedicated to 
bring you to account.

We will no go away! The possibilities and feasibility of impeachment are 
currently being explored.

The document "a case to answer" has been presented to you with 28 specific 
questions and in your arrogance you have not afforded the common courtesy of 
a response or acknowledgement.

As Iraq contains the second largest oil reserves in the world and could not 
fulfil its oil production potential due to crippling sanctions, it was 
viewed as an easy target for Western interests to plunder its mineral 
wealth.

It would appear multi-million dollar contracts were already being negotiated 
before the war to extract oil and rebuild infrastructure.

Please remember, Mr Blair, no capability of a 45-minute deployment of WMD, 
no stockpiles of WMD, no WMD programmes, no links with al Qaida and no links 
with 9/11.

Without the above how could Iraq form part of the so-called axis of evil?

What, therefore, was Iraq's crime to warrant an illegal invasion without 
United Nations support?

If you are so keen on enforcing democracy, Mr Blair, why do you not enforce 
it on strong countries capable of biting back, not one that has been 
weakened by years of sanctions.

You have now changed the rhetoric for your remit for war from WMD to regime 
change.

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, states that this is illegal. Thus you are 
forcing our troops to engage in an illegal conflict against Iraq that you 
and Mr Bush presumed to be a soft target.

The resulting chaos and atrocities are now played out for all to see daily 
on our television screens. The world in now undeniably a more dangerous 
place.

Stop the war, bring the troops home and hand responsibility over to the 
United Nations. At least Kofi Annan still retains some integrity and has a 
proven unbiased diplomatic record.

Why, Mr Blair, as the deceased are being repatriated, do you find it 
necessary to continue this unhealthy liaison with Mr Bush?

Is it to receive a pat on the back for moving the Black Watch into the 
triangle of death so as to be seen to have supported Mr Bush's re-election 
campaign?

On a closing note, Geoff Hoon addressed the House and stated the risks on 
moving the Black Watch were acceptable.

Yet within five days we have five killed and several seriously injured. How 
is this justifiable?

Well, Mr Blair, you have been true to your word on one point. You are 
getting some of the Black Watch home for Christmas, tragically injured, 
maimed and others in body-bags.

Morally unacceptable conduct of a British Prime Minister in the 21st 
century!



The letter is signed by 10 relatives of servicemen either serving or those 
who have died.