Word: iraq
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...been authorized by Blair's government, were criticized by opponents of the war for being too narrowly focused and timid in their criticism of the country's leadership. By taking a wide scope and examining almost every aspect of the war, from Britain's pre-Sept. 11 policies on Iraq to the end of British combat operations in April of this year, the Iraq inquiry may offer a definitive portrait of the problems associated with the invasion. (See a month-by-month review of the Iraq...
...planning for the war resulted in a rushed operation "lacking in coherence and resources" that caused "significant risk" to troops and "critical failure" after the conflict. The paper also revealed what it termed "hostility" between British and American military leaders, including reports that the top British military commander in Iraq from November 2003 to July 2004, Major General Andrew Stewart, complained about a "real difficulty dealing with the American military," which dictated that there was "only one way: the American way." (Read "A Presidential Medal for Tony Blair...
...Given the sensitivity of these and other aspects of the conflict, some of the war's fiercest critics - including the family members of dead soldiers - have expressed concerns that the Iraq inquiry was set up to "whitewash" British and American failures during the war. As the panel has no statutory powers, witnesses are not required to testify under legal oath. Some of Chilcot's fellow committee members, such as the British academic Lawrence Freedman, had also been enthusiastic supporters of the invasion. And, critics say, Chilcot himself has been deeply entrenched in the culture of Westminster for his entire government...
...held behind closed doors, but Chilcot insisted that many of the hearings be held in public. And with Brown's backing, Chilcot will call several high-profile witnesses to testify, including Blair, who will be questioned sometime in 2010. It will be the first time he appears before an Iraq war inquiry. (See a TIME video with Brown...
...inquiry may not publish its findings until 2011. But to the Brits for whom the failures of the Iraq war remain a stain on the nation, a full accounting can wait as long as needed. The liberal Guardian newspaper said the inquiry has the potential to "heal the wounds of war." "The primary aim of the probe," the paper's editorial page declared Monday, "must be to promote the reconciliation of the public with a political class which misled it so badly." Until then, the debate will undoubtedly continue...