IRAQ WAR REVELATIONS CONFIRM CASE FOR IMPEACHMENT OF BLAIR

IRAQ WAR REVELATIONS CONFIRM CASE FOR IMPEACHMENT OF BLAIR

LEGAL EVIDENCE BEING PASSED TO CHILCOT – SNP CALL FOR EMERGENCY STATEMENT TOMORROW

BROWN BANKROLLED WAR – WHAT DID HE KNOW? WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said that the revelations in the Sunday Telegraph about the Iraq war confirmed the case brought by the SNP/Plaid Cymru Group at Westminster in 2004 for the impeachment of Tony Blair.

The Government reports received by the newspaper reveal that:

* Tony Blair misled MPs and the public throughout 2002 when he claimed that Britain’s objective was disarmament not regime change, and that there had been no planning for military action. In fact, British military planning for a full invasion and regime change began in February 2002.

* The need to conceal this from Parliament and all but “very small numbers” of officials “constrained” the planning process in the lead up to the war resulting in a “rushed” operation “lacking in coherence and resources” which caused “significant risk” to troops and “critical failure” in the post-war period.

* Operations were so under-resourced that some troops went into action with only five bullets each. Others had to deploy to war on civilian airlines, taking their equipment as hand luggage. Some troops had weapons confiscated by airport security.

The SNP’s Westminster leader and party defence spokesperson, Angus Robertson MP, will be calling for an emergency statement in the House of Commons tomorrow in light of the information in these secret documents on the Iraq war.

Mr Salmond said:

“These revelations confirm the case for the impeachment of Tony Blair, which SNP and Plaid Cymru MPs brought before the House of Commons. The legal advice which underpinned our impeachment case, and the full report ‘A Case to Answer’, is being presented to Sir John Chilcot’s committee of inquiry.

“Tony Blair consistently denied to Parliament and public that the UK Government was preparing for war in Iraq, yet these documents show that planning began as far back as 2002.

“These revelations make life even hotter for Tony Blair, and increase the likelihood that he will be called to account for taking the country into an illegal and disastrous war on false pretences. The truth has been lurking waiting to appear, and it is now out there.

“The Chilcot inquiry will be hugely problematic for Tony Blair, but it will also be very difficult for Gordon Brown. The war in Iraq may have been led by Tony Blair, but it was bankrolled by Gordon Brown.”

Angus Robertson said:

“The Iraq revelations are so serious that I believe the Labour Government must make an emergency statement to Parliament on Monday to answer the fundamental questions they raise. Just what did Gordon Brown know and when did he know it? The contents of these secret reports are a damning indictment of how the Iraq war was resourced and planned – and how parliament and public were misled on a serial basis.

“As the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, Gordon Brown was the man who signed the cheques for this illegal war, and there are serious questions he has to answer.”