Tony Blair's Speech to the UK Parliament

"We are now seriously asked to accept that in the last few years, contrary to all history, contrary to all intelligence, he decided unilaterally to destroy the weapons. Such a claim is palpably absurd."

This is a brilliant speech and needs to be spread. Granted, a large portion of is uses the "UN defense," meaning it is heavily based on the idea that Iraq's violations of UN resolutions make it OK to invade. I disagree with that because it legitimizes the UN more than it deserves. However, for those who think the UN route is the one to take, Blair's speech takes a jackhammer and finishes that stance off for good.

He does attack from a position I do agree with more.

The truth is our patience should have been exhausted weeks and months and years ago. Even now, when if the world united and gave him an ultimatum: comply or face forcible disarmament, he might just do it, the world hesitates and in that hesitation he senses the weakness and therefore continues to defy.

What would any tyrannical regime possessing WMD think viewing the history of the world's diplomatic dance with Saddam? That our capacity to pass firm resolutions is only matched by our feebleness in implementing them.

That is why this indulgence has to stop. Because it is dangerous. It is dangerous if such regimes disbelieve us. Dangerous if they think they can use our weakness, our hesitation, even the natural urges of our democracy towards peace, against us. Dangerous because one day they will mistake our innate revulsion against war for permanent incapacity; when in fact, pushed to the limit, we will act. But then when we act, after years of pretence, the action will have to be harder, bigger, more total in its impact. Iraq is not the only regime with WMD. But back away now from this confrontation and future conflicts will be infinitely worse and more devastating.

Blair may be part of the political spectrum which I disagree with in terms of individual liberty and capitalism, but his foreign policy statements have been worth their weight in gold. I'm glad he is on our team. Ditto for Australia's John Howard.

Posted by Drizzten at March 18, 2003 02:37 PM