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Iraq inquiry: Families of fallen soldiers accuse Tony Blair

January 31, 2010 00:00:00


Families of the soldiers killed in Iraq accused Tony Blair of failing to justify his decision to go to war after his appearance at the Chilcot inquiry, reports BBC.
Twenty relatives of those killed in the conflict were given seats at the inquiry in order to listen to the former prime minister answer questions about the events leading up to the 2003 war.
Less than an hour after it started, one father stood up and walked out muttering: "This is a waste of time, I can't take this anymore."
Valerie O'Neill, whose son Kris was killed by a roadside bomb in 2007 said Mr Blair evaded many of the questions put to him.
"He never gave a straight answer and could not be swayed by the inquiry panel," he said. "We waited until the very end for an apology from Mr Blair but we didn't get one.
Sarah Chapman, a former nurse whose brother Robert O'Connor was one of 10 men shot down in a Hercules in January 2005, said she was left speechless by his performance.
"I am gutted and angry," she said. "Every time he was asked about his reasons for going to war, he said it was all about the people in Iraq.
"Of course Saddam Hussain was not a good leader, but this was not his only reason for going to war.
"I feel Mr Blair acted alone and did not discuss war with anyone who might disagree with him.
"He showed a complete inability to acknowledge the sacrifice that has been made on the part of the armed forces in this country.
"He spent all the time justifying himself rather than explaining why he went to war. When asked at the end if there was anything he wanted to add, he said no. "I was so upset, I hope the sound of my tears will ring in his ears."

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