The Iraq Inquiry continued holding hearings last week and the media star was Tony Blair's spokesperson Alastair Campbell who showed neither remorse nor anything resembling intelligence.
In one of the most illuminating moments of Campbell's testimony, he revealed that the protests against the impending war on February 15, 2003 had an effect . . . To be sure that voices weren't being drowned out, he brought a group of Iraqi exiles to meet with Tony Blair and tell Blair to stand firm and start that war.
The exiles were involved of the planning of the war. They always had a seat at the table.
But for Campbell, the proper response to the protest was to ensure that exiles yet again got to whisper in Tony Blair's big, jug ears.
The death toll continued to mount in Iraq. Sunday 4 Iraqis were reported dead and 7 injured; Monday 13 were reported wounded; Tuesday 4 were reported dead; Wednesday 11 were reported dead and 9 wounded; Thursday 32 reported dead and 11 injured; Friday no reported dead or wounded; Saturday 4 reported dead and 3 reported injured for a total of 55 reported dead and 43 reported injured.
Nouri al-Maliki, meanwhile, wiped out potential rivals in the elections scheduled for March by playing the Ba'ath card and disallowing them from running. Over 500 politicians have been banned as Little Nouri attempts to fill the shoes of Saddam Hussein.
And the Iraq War is illegal. One country has weighed in. From the Pacifica Evening News (broadcast on KPFA and KPFK) for other governmental bodies and the Iraq War:
John Hamilton: Also today an official Dutch investigation into the Iraq War concluded that the Hague government supported the war without legal backing, it did not fully inform Parliament about its plans. The committee's scathing report -- whose release was broadcast live on state television -- said the US led invasion probably targeted regime change in Iraq but military intervention for this reason was not supported by international law and the Dutch government was aware of that case.
John Hamilton: Also today an official Dutch investigation into the Iraq War concluded that the Hague government supported the war without legal backing, it did not fully inform Parliament about its plans. The committee's scathing report -- whose release was broadcast live on state television -- said the US led invasion probably targeted regime change in Iraq but military intervention for this reason was not supported by international law and the Dutch government was aware of that case.
