Former Uk Ambassador In Washington

Former UK Ambassador in Washington:
Iraq War brought Terror to UK

Sir Christopher Meyer, former UK ambassador in Washington, DC, admits that the war he supported increased the risks of terrorism in Britain, according to The Guardian.

‘ So what, two-and-a-half years after the invasion, do the president and prime minister have to do now? “I think the US and ourselves are on the horns of an absolutely impossible dilemma,” he says.

He opposes an early pullout of US and British troops. Abandoning the task of rebuilding the country would leave “the relatives of at least 2,000 American servicemen and 98 British servicemen with a legitimate question about what they died for”.

‘ But he accepts that the task of rebuilding may now be impossible. “There is no doubt that the presence of American and British troops to a degree motivates the insurgency. So this is agonising for Bush and I think it is agonising for Blair, all of us really.”

He also dismisses the prime minister’s claim that the war has not exposed Britain to terrorist attacks. “There is plenty of evidence around at the moment that home-grown terrorism was partly radicalised and fuelled by what is going on in Iraq,” he says. “There is no way we can credibly get up and say it has nothing to do with it. Don’t tell me that being in Iraq has got nothing to do with it. Of course, it does. The issue is it is part of the price we have to pay and should be paying for the removal of Saddam Hussein and at the moment the jury is out.” ‘

Sir Christopher, who spent a lot of time with both Bush and Blair, reveals that from his insider’s perspective, Blair is woolly-headed and vague and fixated on high concept ideals, whereas Bush is articulate and in command of detail.

Yes, but which details and where did he get them? Details don’t prove judgment. Judgment proves judgment.

Sir Christopher has spoken out before about his time in Washington. He has revealed that soon after September 11, Bush and his team were intent on attacking Iraq first. Only Blair’s desperate pleading got Bush to agree to do Afghanistan first, to take down al-Qaeda. But then Blair had to promise to support an Iraq War later.