Monday, June 15, 2009

Iraq Inquiry: That's the Way (Not) To Do It

So the Iraq inquiry will be held in private and not report until after the next general election. Way to go, Prime Minister! Just what the country was demanding. Not.

I am also slightly mystified as to why its remit is only to cover events from July 2001. Surely events prior to that are relevant too?

33 comments:

Lee H said...

What did anyone expect. Mere voters should not be allowed to know what was going on and how are taxes were spent (or not spent). That could be the issue. A government so keen to use its toy (the Army, RN and RAF) but not wanting to give it the proper funding would never allow you to know that. "Never has so much distain been shown to so many by so few or one".

Unknown said...

Unbelievable. This, from the man who promises "more transparency".

You couldn't make it up, could you?

Russell said...

So much for open and democratic Government, Ayatollah Brown style. Didn't last very long did it?

Brown finds the will of the House and of the electorate completely intolerable and will go to any lengths to subvert it. This "inquiry" might as well not be held - particularly since a tame Hutton figure will be found to write the report.

A charade, proposed by a charlatan.

Doubting Richard said...

Since the first Gulf War was still ongoing albeit in cease fire, and since Iraq had broken the cease-fire terms you are right. Events back to the late 1980s are relevant.

Anonymous said...

Transparency dear boy, transparency.

Anonymous said...

Another 1/4 million votes for the BNP.

Why do these charlatans even think anyone believes a word they have to say?

Anonymous said...

Why isn't the person who will preside over the enquiry not allowed to set their own remit?

Anonymous said...

FFS, what a pointless waste of time and money.

Anonymous said...

He hasn't changed. He won't change. Labour MPs were idiots for backing him. They have had their chance to ditch him and they bottled it. Just like he bottled calling an election. Let's all get on with our lives until next June when we can chuck them all out.

Non Runner said...

Great news that Brown has responded to his critics by formulating a clear strategic message.

Shame that message appears to be "Fuck the lot of you."

Cneifiwr said...

Let's hope that the Conservative Party will join the Liberal Democrats in announcing a boycott of the enquiry.

Patrick said...

That's a relief.....

Back to the old Brown we love to hate. So soon too...

A leopard cannot change his spots.

Man in a Shed said...

This could be a mistake for those Labour ministers involved. A new government could change the inquiries terms ....

Indeed it could go in a Conservative election manifesto ( Brown is always so keen to find out its contents to copy ).

David from Ealing said...

Tim - it is believable. It's Gordon Brown, the man who listens to the people. Not. The anger on the Labour benches after the statement was so clear and will grow. I now believe that it is possible that Brown won't lead Labour into the next election. He really is such as waste of space.

Anonymous said...

The PM is a self indulgent Pratt and will put his own and his parties interests before that of the country.
...
BTW is it spelt " inquiry " or "Enquiry" ? Ive spelt it on my blog as "inquiry"

Anonymous said...

Time to order the tanker of whitewash Gordon.

Pitiful quite pitiful.

Anonymous said...

Gordon Brown : Change you can believe in.....not.

Unknown said...

It was obvious that a man who had no other interest in anything but ensuring his future job was secure at the time of the Iraq war would do nothing else but keep it behind closed doors. A fine examples of the morals of our illustrious leader. For more Gordon Brown observations please see http://confusionsandsolutions.blogspot.com

Unsworth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

AMW ... it's inquiry.

Unsworth said...

Of course earlier matters are relevant. Does anyone seriously believe that this whole thing just started in July 2001? Seriously?

This is the usual 'Cover Up by Inquiry', make no mistake.

Anonymous said...

Mandelson, on the instructions of (EU President hopeful) Bliar wouldn't allow Brown to hold a Public Inquiry in Iraq even if the bottler was inclined to do so.

Couldn't possibly have the aspirational EU President and his Government shown to be the liars and warmongers they clearly were.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
AMW ... it's inquiry
..

Thanks, lol i see Dale has changed it..

FATTER than prescott said...

http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dokumentarkiv/Regjeringen-Stoltenberg-I/ud/261296/264462/un_security_council_-iraq-statement.html?id=265358

GORD WANTS NORWAY--HANS BLIX--OUT THE ENQUIRY

ranger1640 said...

Brown is a deceitful lying bastard just like his mate B,liar.

He calls for an inquiry into the Iraq war he then holds it behind closed doors. With all the other inquires into the Iraq war there will be very little that has not already been in the public domain even the doggy dossier.

If this is Brown attempt to connect with the public he has fucked it up again.

Does Brown the fucking eejet not fucking realise we want a public inquiry not a secrete post-mortem. I hope after this the families take the bastard to court and sue the cunt for millions.

Anonymous said...

So if we do have an election sometime this year and the Conservatives win then hopefully DC will bring the inquiry conclusions forward..

moorlandhunter said...

Why else would Labour want a secretive enquiry? It’s simple, Labour took us to war on a lie, made our honourable forces fight a war for political principles not used since the 19th century, with kit and equipment they STILL know is substandard and useless, allowed thousands of innocent Iraqis to die as well as hundreds of our forces to die or be left wounded and disabled is nothing short of a disgrace.
No wonder Blair and Brown hid the truth, and Brown now wants to hide the truth. How Labour, ex Labour cabinet politicians can brazen out their lies is truly disgusting.

Veritas said...

Join the fightback against the whitewash:

http://nottheiraqwarinquiry.blogspot.com/

There needs to be an open inquiry and - in lieu of this - we should have our own open inquiry. I'm ex Armed Forces with knowledge from the time and, if enough of us join the dots, coupled with public outrage.....

Weygand said...

David Cameron should simply announce that if the Conservatives are elected at the next General Election, he will halt any secret enquiry and start afresh with a public one.

This will have full powers to summon witnesses and call evidence but will not be allowed to become a Lawyerfest.

Anything less will be a waste of time and so a waste of money and will bring Parliament into even further disrepute.

It's as easy as that.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone look at the pre-war intelligence and think anything other than the government cooked it?

Yet the Hutton report gave Liebore a clean bill of health and then the BBC's balls on a dish...

Anyone expecting a different outcome this time round...?

Tom F said...

Iain,

Pre July 2001 - meeting of NATO leaders Brussels 13th June 2001.

The Prime Minister said that the British government has "always made it clear that we should be prepared to sit down and work out what is the best way of dealing with the so-called rogue nuclear states which threaten the stability of us all," adding that the most important thing "is that Europe and America should always stick together".

Anonymous said...

Quelle surprise!

Flemingcrag said...

The excuse Gordo Brown uses for not having a Public enquiry is the second one set up by New Labour into The Bloody Sunday tragedy.
It has gone on too long and has cost £100s of millions.

This was because it was set up with no defining boundaries or controls in typical New Labour fashion, it is the biggest gravy train the Legal Profession and Witnesses have ever boarded.
The reason it still trundles on soaking up every £ it can is because above all, no time limit was set for it to report. Another blank cheque dreamed up by New Labour to waste our taxes.

The irony is that the original Public enquiry was conducted by no less a celebrated establishment figure than Lord Hutton. The very same Lord who was the safe pair of hands whom New Labour trusted so much to chair the Public enquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly.

When he ruled so much in favour of the Government over the hounding to death of this innocent man the New Labour ranks in the Commons cheered it to the rafters and jeered at Opposition claims of a whitewash.