Chilcot Report: Iraq Invasion was ‘unnecessary’! - Part 2
One of the few points of satisfaction for Tony Blair in the Chilcot Report was that it lays the blame on UK intelligence agency - MI6, for keeping secrets concealed from Blair. The MI6 spies had realised that one of its key sources was a fabricated even before the invasion. However there are evidences that senior members of the staff of Tony Blair had then warned about the intelligence report to be non-conclusive and flaky.
Chilcot concludes that the legal basis for the invasion was “far from satisfactory” however it does not give a verdict that the war was illegal. Chilcot blames that neither Tony Blair nor George Bush were prepared and had planned for the consequences and aftermath of Iraq invasion. Within a month of invasion, Saddam was toppled which lead to unleashing of sectarian conflict in Iraq that was predictable but no mitigation measures were planned.
The revelations pose a series of questions on the motives of the war. There were many theories prevailing that the invasion of Iraq was based on narrative set by the US of Saddam Hussein being a big threat and possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). The entire narrative was propagated through the media for general public to justify the invasion and the subsequent war. The Chilcot report provides some parallels to these theories. The invasion of Iraq fanned the flames of conflict across the Middle East. Chilcot report has also amplified claims that the war fuelled the rise of ISIS and detonated the conflict in Syria.
But now the question remains to be answered if Tony Blair would be tried for his lapses? Beyond this there are other questions too that emerge which will make one to think about the real motive behind Iraq invasion. The ultimate result of Iraq invasion being:
i) Sectarian conflict in Iraq and unofficial split of the country into three parts ii) Rise of ISIS and conflict in Syria, and iii) Destabilization of Middle East and resulting migrant crisis of the European Union.
- The End -