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Blair defends US-British-led war on Iraq in Congress
Washington, July 18: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has told the US Congress he believes `with every fiber of instinct and conviction` that the United States and British led war on Iraq was justified - and that history will forgive them if weapons allegations used as justification were wrong.
Washington, July 18: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has told the US Congress he believes "with every fiber of instinct and conviction" that the United States and British led war on Iraq was justified - and that history will forgive them if weapons allegations used as justification were wrong.
"I believe with every fiber of instinct and conviction I have that we are right in deciding to go to war without broad international support,” Blair said yesterday.
"We promised Iraq democratic government. We will deliver it," he said.
The Prime Minister suggested that history will forgive the toppling of Saddam Hussein's government even if it turns out that Blair and President George W Bush were wrong about Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction.
To have hesitated "in the face of this menace when we should have given leadership that is something that history will not forgive," Blair said, to loud applause from house members and senators.
Blair's visit to Congress, and then to the White House for a meeting and joint news conference with bush, came amid deepening questions about the intelligence information both leaders used in arguing that war against Iraq was necessary.
The two leaders were the closest of allies on the war, but the relationship has been strained in recent weeks over questions about British claims that Iraq sought to buy uranium in Africa and the President's use of such an assertion in his Jan. 28 state of the union address.
Bureau Report
"We promised Iraq democratic government. We will deliver it," he said.
The Prime Minister suggested that history will forgive the toppling of Saddam Hussein's government even if it turns out that Blair and President George W Bush were wrong about Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction.
To have hesitated "in the face of this menace when we should have given leadership that is something that history will not forgive," Blair said, to loud applause from house members and senators.
Blair's visit to Congress, and then to the White House for a meeting and joint news conference with bush, came amid deepening questions about the intelligence information both leaders used in arguing that war against Iraq was necessary.
The two leaders were the closest of allies on the war, but the relationship has been strained in recent weeks over questions about British claims that Iraq sought to buy uranium in Africa and the President's use of such an assertion in his Jan. 28 state of the union address.
Bureau Report