Dundee LibDems slam Labour and Tories over Iraq invasion - on its fifth anniversary (Dundee Liberal Democrats)

Dundee Liberal Democrats <info@dundeelibdems.org.uk>

Dundee LibDems slam Labour and Tories over Iraq invasion - on its fifth anniversary

March 19, 2008 10:42 PM

Dundee LibDems slam Labour and Tories over Iraq invasion

Coming on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Dundee Liberal Democrats today (Wednesday 19th March) called on the Labour and Conservative parties to apologise for their support for the invasion of Iraq.

Dundee LibDem councillor Fraser Macpherson said, "Five years ago, the Labour Government led Britain into the war in Iraq. The Conservatives were the cheerleaders for military action. And MPs from both these parties attacked the Liberal Democrats for our opposition to the invasion.

"It is now clear that the war in Iraq and the occupation of the country were the worst decisions taken by Britain in foreign policy in living memory.

"Five years on from the start of the invasion, 175 British troops have lost their lives, £7 billion of our money has been lost on this appalling venture and, according to some estimates, 600,000 Iraqis have lost their lives as a result.

"This was a war that we were told was meant to make the world safer. We were told it was to get rid of weapons of mass destruction, weapons which turned out not to exist. We were told this was a war to end terrorism, but the threat from terrorism has gone up, not down.

"The remaining British troops in Iraq are not serving a useful purpose. The Government are asking our brave men and women to put their lives at risk for no gain for either our country or the world at large. Despite assurances by Gordon Brown that our troops will be coming home, they are still in Iraq.

"The Liberal Democrats will continue to call on the Government to set a timetable for the full withdrawal of the remaining UK troops from Iraq."

LibDem Leader, Nick Clegg MP, added, "On this anniversary of the greatest strategic failure in British foreign policy in the post-war period, both Labour and the Conservatives must learn from their fateful decision to back George Bush's invasion of Iraq.

"Never again should the objections of millions of British citizens be so lightly ignored. Never again should we blindly follow instructions from the White House. Never again should we do such untold damage to the international rule of law.

"It is now time to recast British foreign policy in Britain's interests, not those of Washington, starting with an early and full withdrawal of all remaining British troops in Iraq."