Tony Blair Condemned over "The Journey"

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Tony Blair Condemned over "The Journey"

Workers Daily
http://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wdie-10/d10-039.htm#al

Tony Blair’s memoirs, The Journey, are an indictment of the former New Labour Prime Minister, whereas the author clearly intended them as a justification. In his introduction, Blair speaks of them as setting out what it meant to be the human being at the centre of his ten years history as Prime Minister. This is entirely at one with the role given to him by the political system of which he became Prime Minister, a figure whose authority comes not from the people and being accountable to them, but as a god astride the political machinery who could take the decision to commit aggression against Iraq as a little god in opposition to the popular will because he did what he thought was right.

The book appears to be shot through with this conviction politics, a conviction not obtained through take a stand and arguing out a case, but with a deluded sense that he alone represented public opinion, a conviction that came from not summing up events and acting as a statesman or a humble representative of the electorate but setting out the world as it appeared to Tony Blair, the creator. His self-justification in political terms comes from the fact that New Labour won three successive general elections, and he presents himself as an a-class individual who was abandoned by the Labour Party, by his former disciples, abandoned as the personification of New Labour, and that therefore the Labour government was finished.

He alone, he seems to affirm, takes responsibility for his actions, and that is why he should not be tried for any crime against humanity. His arrogance in thinking that he could proceed with a programme of book-signings without vehement opposition and attempts at citizen’s arrest, shows that despite his persona of populism that he fosters, Tony Blair is neither in touch with public opinion nor the workings and political currents of the real world.

Tony Blair takes up the theme of the world "as it may become", particularly after 9/11. And this is really the main theme of the book, as set out in the introduction: that of the Blair project of making Britain "great" again. He says: "I wanted us [‘the nation’] to ealise a new set of ambitions at home and abroad. … We would use our membership of Europe and our alliance with the United States to influence the decisions of the world, even as our power relative to the emerging nations diminished. We would play a new role in continents such as Africa, as partners in development. We would forge a new politics, in which successful enterprise and ambition lived comfortably alongside a society of equal opportunity and compassion."

Blair describes this as a work in progress, a politics "beyond traditional left or right", a vision that, according to him, "powerful forces, left and right, disagree with" and try hard to inhibit, but one which the book sets out "is the only hope for Britain’s future".

Of the invasion, along with the United States, of Iraq, Blair underlines the position which he gave earlier this year to the Chilcot inquiry. He explains why he would not contemplate any apology for this war crime, but continues to issue warnings about "political Islam", as well as "political" Muslims. He characterises Arabs as people who would invariably regard "Jews" as enemies. As the ninth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, and many have suggested that the release of the memoirs around this time is not a coincidence, this theme, which Blair himself in August 2005 sought to link with "revolutionary communism", underlines the responsibility of Anglo-US imperialism for that crime and for all the dark reaction which followed. However, for Tony Blair, the aggression against Iraq was all a matter of calculation, a game of bluff and counter-bluff, which went wrong. His logic is that Saddam Hussein was to blame for not having WMDs, while Tony Blair was convinced that he had. Blair writes: "We thought there was an active WMD programme and there wasn’t. The aftermath, following Saddam’s removal in May 2003, was bloody, destructive and chaotic." He continues: "The intelligence on Saddam and WMD turned out to be incorrect. It is said – even I have said – that how this came to be so remains a mystery. Why should Saddam keep the inspectors out for so long when he had nothing to hide? Even when he let them in, why did he obstruct them? Why bring war upon his country to protect a myth? Was it really … as paradoxical as this: that he thought the US and its allies were bluffing when we threatened force and actually we were sincere; and we thought he genuinely had WMD when actually he was bluffing?"

Blair’s attempted justification of his crimes for which he was responsible is that Iraq was pursuing its strategic ambitions, whatever the niceties of possessing or not possessing WMDs. The conclusion which Blair does not draw in the book, is that in invading Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, and effecting regime change, Anglo-US imperialism was pursuing its strategic ambitions, whatever the niceties of Saddam Hussein possessing or not possessing WMDs. And which can be said to be the greater crime? Of that there can be no doubt.

WDIE will carry a full review of Tony Blair’s memoirs at a later date.

Extracts from Tony Blair, A Journey, can be read at: http://www.tonyblairjourney.co.uk/extracts

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Al Quds Day Letter to Tony Blair from Lauren Booth in Iran

3 September 2010

Dear Tony,

Congratulations on your political memoir becoming an instant bestseller. I'm in Iran and have the only copy in the country. I can tell you, it's so fiercely fought over, it's worth its weight in WMD's. Note to Random House; have "A Journey" translated into Farsi and Arabic asap, it'll fly off the shelves in this part of the world.

Tony, yesterday I attended the Al Quds day protest in Tehran. You may have heard of it? It's the rally where Iranians gather to protest against Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, including the Holy city of Jerusalem.

I'm being sarcastic by asking if you've heard of Al Quds day, because I know you have. It is your very worst nightmare, right? After all, Tehran is the place where politics and Islam intertwine.

Personally I've never understood this fear of "political Islam" it seems to me that religious people should always be educated on world events rather than kept in ignorance. Like say, Mid-West Christian Zionists in the US. The kind of folk who can't find their home city on a map of their state but are certain they hate Islam even if they are not sure whether it is a type of curry or a foreign make of veh-ic-ule.

Anyway, yesterday, I stood in the midst of more than one million Iranian Muslims all chanting in unison "Marg Bar Isre-hell!" and "Marg Bar Am-ri-ca!" You know what that means Tony I'm sure; "Down with Israel, down with America". The men, women and children around me withstood a day of no water and no food (it's called Ramadan, Tony, it's a fast). Coping with hunger and thirst in the hundred degrees heat, as if it were nothing. They can withstand deprivation in the Muslim world. Here in Iran they feel proud to suffer in order to express solidarity with the people of Palestine. It's kind of like the way you express solidarity with America, except without illegal chemical weapons and a million civilian deaths.

Some mothers at the rally wept, not out of hatred for "the West" but out of empathy for the mothers of Rafah, Khan Younis, Nablus and Jenin. Do you recognise these place names Tony, as Middle East peace envoy you really should. Israel has massacred children in all of these cities in recent years. Didn't you know?

Today when the streets of London reverberate with cries of "Allahuakbar!" and "Down Down Israel." Christians and Jews will join the thunderous cries of "Down Down Israel", marching shoulder to shoulder with the "political" Muslims you say you fear so much.

Perhaps you believe that I am in danger in Iran, especially on a day like Al Quds. Well here again Tony, you've been fed and have consumed in its entirety, a massive lie. The lie that says when Muslims express an opinion in groups, in public, it is always spurred on by hatred of "us" infidels. As if all protests that are led by Muslim communities are a kind of long held grudge against the Crusades. Perhaps they should be more, not less angry here than they are, Tony. Because having read the postscript to your bestseller its clear you are on a modern Crusade.

The "conflict" between Palestine and Israel is according to you all about religion and has nothing at all to do with the ethnic cleansing of the Arab population, nor the degradation of those who remain beneath the boots of their Israeli occupiers. You say that Arabs have and always will see "Jews" as enemies. For God's sake Tony, do your history. And if you're going to run a "Faith Foundation" then better get up on Islam 101 don't you think? Did your pals in Tel Aviv forget to tell you how many thousands of Jews lived in Historic Palestine in harmony with their Arab neighbours before 1948? Do you really not know that even today tens of thousands of Jews reside contentedly in Iran?

I've sat with Muslim families, those whose children have been burned by Israeli/US phosphorus bombs. Those who are still suffering hunger due to the Israel siege of Gaza. Those who have lived through the early days of sanctions against Iran when they needed food vouchers just to live. And every single Muslim in these suffering families has the same message; "We don't hate anyone for their race or their religion. We cannot hate Jews they are in our holy book. It is against the teachings of the Koran." But Tony let me ask you this. Why should any people, Muslim or otherwise, be expected to put up with this kind of constant threats from you and your bosses in Tel Aviv and Washington? Do you have any understanding of what it is like to live in Gaza? Under siege, attacked with chemical weapons, your children's schools razed to the ground by Israeli missiles, your hospitals shelled, your electricity limited, your water undrinkable?

Actually Tony I think you are a sympathetic person. I actually think that you do feel twinges of pain at the hardships suffered by millions in the Middle East as a direct result of your support for Israel. Then you put that feeling to one side, because on a fundamental level – you think "they" deserve it don't you?

In your book you say you knew full well how many Beirut homes were flattened, how many civilians died in Lebanon in 2006. Yet you dismiss Lebanese rage about Israeli occupation of the "Sheba Farm" as being an irrelevance, about a "tiny" amount of land. You cannot see it as part of the constant pressure on Lebanese society as a whole by their heavily armed aggressive Israeli neighbour. You see it as: "Israel is attacked. Israel strikes back." As if Israel lives in placid peace, being kindly to all around it in between these massacres.

As other world leaders came out to demand Israel immediately cease its 2006 bombing raids on Lebanese cities, you stayed silent. "If I had condemned Israel" you say in your book "I would have been more than dishonest. It would have undermined my world view."

Your world view is that Muslims are mad, bad and dangerous; a contagion to be contained. Your final chapter is a must read here in the Middle East Tony, congratulations! For it lays out the "them" and "us" agenda of your friends in Washington and Tel Aviv.

In the final chapter you say; "we need a religious counter attack" against Islam. And by "Islam" you mean the Al Quds rallies, the Palestinian intifada (based on an anti-Apartheid struggle Tony, NOT religious bigotry), against every Arab who fails to put their arms in the air as the F16 missiles rain on their homes and refugee camps and sing a rousing chorus of  "Imagine all the people..."

When you say "extremism" must be "controlled and beaten" you mean that you and your kind of morally bankrupt (but filthy rich) world leaders wants control over the rising solidarity spreading through the Ummah and being joined by activists of all creeds on the streets of Paris, London, Bradford, Rome. "Not only extremism must be defeated" you have written but "the narrative" " has to be assailed."

Iran is indeed the place where Islamic tradition meets political action.

They are highly aware of the history of this region, the wrongs perpetrated by Israel against Palestine and the political machinations of the US and the UK governments to isolate them. All things considered are nice as the people have been during my stay. I wouldn't recommend coming over on a book tour though...

Lauren Booth is a journalist, broadcaster and human rights campaigner, and is also Tony Blair’s sister-in-law. The letter appeared on the website of Press TV on September 5, 2010.

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Protest When Tony Blair Hosts Tate Modern Event

Stop the War Coalition

Protest When Blair Hosts Book Launch Party, Wednesday, 8 September, 5.30pm Tate Modern Gallery, Park Street, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Tube: Mansion House

It's a victory for the anti-war movement and the thousands who contacted Waterstone's, outraged at it hosting a book-signing for Tony Blair.

Blair has cancelled the book-signing, anticipating hundreds of protesters. He knows beyond doubt that he cannot go anywhere in public without being confronted by protests over his war crimes and by attempts to make a citizen's arrest.

And this applies to the "secret" book launch party that he is hosting at the Tate Modern gallery on the evening of Wednesday 8 September. This has already been termed the "war criminals' party", as Blair is sure to be joined by Alistair Campbell, Jack Straw and others who helped concoct the lies that took Britain into the illegal war in Iraq.

Prominent figures from the arts – including Brian Eno, David Gentleman, Katherine Hamnett and Cat Phillips have already expressed their outrage that the Tate Modern is being used to promote Blair's memoirs, and have called on the gallery, even at this late stage, to cancel the event.

Stop the War has called a demonstration at Tate Modern at 5.30pm on 8 September. We want this protest to be as "artistic" as possible. We are encouraging anyone who is coming to the protest who has a Blair mask or any resources from past Blair protests, to bring them to the Tate Modern.

Please spread the word as widely as you can. See the Stop the War website for updates: http://bit.ly/FeWuS

Andrew Burgin of the STWC had the following exchange with Tate Modern’s Helen Beeckmans:

Thanks for that Helen,

I see your guidelines say ‘our ability to maintain a strong relationship of trust with our public is critical..’ Yet you see no problem in hosting an event for a man who has been responsible for the deaths of 100,000's of innocent people. A man who has broken his relationship of trust with the people of this country by lying and taking Britain into an illegal war in Iraq. The fact that you seek to disassociate the Tate from this event by the sleight of hand you use in your letter is dishonorable.
We will hold a protest at the Tate on Wednesday.

yours

Andrew Burgin
Stop the War Coalition

Helen Beeckmans wrote:

Dear Andrew
Further to your call earlier today I can confirm that Tate is not staging a launch for Tony Blair’s new book. Tate’s galleries are available for hire by companies. These events are private and details are confidential.

Please find below the link to our ethic’s policy as requested.
 http://www.tate.org.uk/about/freedomofinformation/ethics-policy.pdf

Yours Helen

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Shoes, eggs hurled at Blair in Dublin

Protesters hurled shoes and eggs on Saturday, September 4, at Tony Blair who held the first public signing of his memoir amid high security in Ireland’s capital. About 200 demonstrators chanted that Blair had "blood on his hands" as the former Prime Minister arrived at a Dublin bookstore. Shoes, eggs and other projectiles were thrown toward Blair as he emerged from a car. Book buyers were told to hand over bags and mobile phones before entering Eason’s bookstore on O’Connell Street, Dublin’s main shopping thoroughfare.

There were scuffles between police and demonstrators when some tried to force their way through the security cordon. Two protesters were bundled into the back of a security van. Several demonstrators, including one wheelchair user, laid themselves in the van’s path, and riot police were brought in to remove them. Police said four men were arrested and charged with public order offenses.

Protesters shouted "Whose cops? Blair's cops!" as they taunted the gardai while Blair remained inside the bookshop. They also shouted: "Hey hey Tony hey, how many kids have you killed today?"

Blair spent about two hours in the store before emerging to more shouts, boos and hurled eggs. He was quickly driven away, as a police helicopter circled overhead.

"Blair took the world to war in Iraq and Afghanistan on the basis of lies," protester Donal MacFhearraigh said. He said Blair should be indicted as a war criminal.

Another protester, 24-year-old Kate O’Sullivan, said she was taken away by security guards after approaching Blair in the store and trying to perform a citizen’s arrest. "I went up to him and I said 'Mr Blair, I'm here to make a citizen's arrest for the war crimes that you've committed'," she said.

Confrontation erupted again once Blair had left, as police stopped demonstrators from entering the bookstore. Many of the demonstrators then marched to the police station where those arrested were being held to continue their protest there.

In an interview aired Saturday, Blair rejected claims that the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan had increased Muslim radicalization, saying "wicked and backward-looking" radical Islam is the greatest threat to global security. Blair told the BBC World Service "the biggest threat in international security is this broader radicalized movement, because I think it is rather similar to revolutionary communism." He said al-Qaida-linked extremism was "loosely a global ideological movement, but Iran is a state sponsor of it."
 

(sources: Associated Press, The Guardian)