Blair still believes Iraq war was right

Blair still believes Iraq war was right

He arrived early - out of sight of the cameras, and the protesters who'd gathered to greet him.

In the damp chill of the winter's morning this was an historic moment. Here was a former British Prime Minister being asked to explain in public why he took his country to war.

The room where the inquiry is being held is small, and compact, some would say claustrophobic.

At 9.30 he walked in. As one of the six journalists given access to this session, I could see his hair was greyer than the last time I saw him. And he was more tanned. Just metres behind him, the members of the public who won seats in a ballot to be there. One had a row of medals on his chest. Another young woman, clutched a photograph of a solider, almost certainly one who died in the conflict in 2003. I thought I saw a slight shake from Tony Blair. A hint from this seasoned performer that even this was causing him a moment of anxiety.

There was a reminder from the Inquiry Chairman, John Chilcot that this was not a trial and he asked everyone to allow the witness to give his evidence without interuption.

There were some gasps at the evidence, some murmurs of dissent, but from the most important witness to address this inquiry, the man who gave the final go for war, a spirited defence of his decision.  "This isn't a lie or a deceit or a deception, it's a decision. And the decision I had to take was given Saddam's history, given his use of chemical weapons, give the over one million people's deaths he caused, given ten years of breaking UN could we take the risl of this man reconstituting his weapons programmes'.

Tony Blair had spoken before 2001 of Saddam being kept in his box.  That was part of the reason for the attacks carried out by the US  and UK on Baghdad in December 1998. But after 9/11 he decided that something had to be done about the Iraqi dictator.

There was no secret deal with the US to go to war, but he admitted there was a desire to deal with the problem sooner rather than later: " Sometimes what is important is not to ask the march 2003 question but to ask the 2010 question. Supposing we had backed off this military action. Supposing we had left Saddam and his sons in charge of Iraq...people who had used chemical weapons".

He answered questions about the legality of the war, the military planning, the preparations that were needed and crucially post planning conflict. Even now with UNICEF  reporting that 40 opercent or Iraqi children have no access to clean drinking water, that two milion primary school chilren do not receive a formal education, with tens of thousand dead since the war's end, Tony Blair blamed Al Qeda and Iran for getting involved.  This, he said, was 'unforseen'.

And so after six hours of evidence, perhaps the most dramatic part of his submission came right at the end, in the final minutes.  There was no apology for the dead, but an acceptance his decision to invade was devisive "I'm sorry about that and I tried my level best to bring people back together again but if I'm asked whether I believe we are safer, more secure , that iraq is better,  that our own security is better with Saddam and his sons out of power and out of office then I believe we are". 

And then he was asked simply 'No regrets?'. He took a breath 'Responsbility but not a regret for removing Saddam Hussein'.  Suddenly there was an short outburst from the public gallery which had listened with perhaps irritation but patience "C'mon..." said a man, the rest of the words disappearing as the chairman sternly asked for quiet'. Tony Blair picked up immediately: 'I believe he was a monster, and I believe he threatened not just the region but the world'.

And then it was over.

The questioning was never as agressive as you would find in a court-room.  And perhaps there will be the feeling the former Prime Minister got off lightly and managed to talk his way out of the really difficult moments.

We never expected any major revelations. What we were given was an insight into Tony Blair's process as he took Britain on the path to war.

This was political theatre and we learned little new. In 2003 Tony Blair believed he was right to go to war. And today he still believes..