LONDON, Nov 18: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has kicked up a new media controversy by admitting in an interview to Al Jazeera that the invasion of Iraq had been ‘disastrous’ and that the western forces had been powerless in containing the violence. Challenged by the interviewer, David Frost, for the new English-language channel of Al Jazeera that the western intervention in Iraq had `so far been pretty much of a disaster’, Mr Blair said: "It has."
The premier admitted that western forces had been powerless to stem the violence, but stopped short of accepting the blame for the civil war-like situation _- blaming instead the anti-western guerillas. But his admission in the interview is being seen as a historic climb-down for Mr Blair, who has always fought to put a positive gloss on often disastrous events.
Mr Blair went on to say: "It has, but you see what I say to people is why is it difficult in Iraq? It is not difficult because of some accident in planning, but there is a deliberate strategy, Al Qaeda with Sunni insurgents on one hand, Iranian-backed elements with Shia militia on the other, to create a situation in which the will of the majority for peace is displaced by the will of the minority for war."
Downing Street tried to downplay the apparent slip. "I think that's just the way in which he answers questions," said a spokesman. "His views on Iraq are documented in hundreds of places, and that is not one of them."
Mr Blair’s seemingly frank remarks came on a day when one of his most loyal ministers was reported to have described the invasion as `his big mistake in foreign affairs’.
Margaret Hodge was quoted as having accused Mr Blair of espousing `moral imperialism’ -- remarks that she denied through an aide but which were recalled by people who attended the private meeting at which she was alleged to have made them.
A Downing Street spokesman said he knew nothing of the reported comments by Margaret Hodge. “She voted for military action in Iraq. Since then, she has always spoken in favour of it. We have a prime minister, a government, that is trying to bring the country together," he said, but added that nobody was disputing `the difficulties there are in Iraq’.
John McDonnell, the leftwing MP who has pledged to stand for Labour's leadership, said Mr Blair’s statement was ‘staggering’ and urged him to bring forward Britain's exit strategy.
