Only a few days ago over 250 Iraqis were killed in a barbaric suicide bombing attack in central Baghdad. Ironically, yesterday the findings of the United Kingdom’s (UK) anticipated Iraq Inquiry (Chilcot Report) were released. The 2003 invasion of Iraq stands as perhaps the greatest foreign policy blunder of the 21st century, with its destabilizing and devastating ramifications still being felt in the Middle-East today. Conveniently the Iraq Inquiry examines the United Kingdom’s involvement in the Iraq War, concluding that ‘the UK chose to join the invasion of Iraq before peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted. Military action at the time was not a last resort.’ Casting doubt on the legitimacy of Tony Blair’s decision to join the United States in invading Iraq (an act unsanctioned by the UN Security Council), the Iraq Inquiry makes some interesting findings on various aspects of the UK’s Iraq War strategy. The following summary highlights the main conclusions of the Inquiry relating to the UK Government’s role in the Iraq War: – The severity of the threat posed by Saddam’s regime was overstated. Judgments about the severity of the threat posed by Saddam’s…
