Iraq is not Worth the Life of a Single British Private

Iraq is not worth the life of a single British private Frank Johnson, May 1, 04

Mr Blair’s Iraq war seems to be becoming more and more unpopular among British voters, especially among the only ones who now tend to vote: the middle classes who switched from the Conservatives to Mr Blair and ensured his two landslides. Yet the official opposition does not look like winning a single vote out of the war’s unpopularity.

If the Conservatives want to win more seats at the next general election, they should come out against the war. [. . . .] But individual Tory candidates, at the election, should strive to make known to their voters their opposition to the war. This will be difficult. Few voters are aware that their local candidates differ from their party leadership. But local debates are held in local venues, such as churches. There is also the local press. These afford ways in which Tories can make known their opposition to a war which Middle England — which is at heart Tory England, even when it votes for Mr Blair — opposes.

To be opposed to this war is not left-wing. The war can be opposed on sound Tory principles. Sound Tory principles teach that Britain should only go to war in defence of our national interest and our security. Mr Blair told the Tories, as he did the country, that our national interest was threatened by Iraq’s possession of weapons of mass destruction. MI6 told Tory frontbench spokesmen in private ‘briefings’ that this was the case. It has become clear that they were, at best, mistaken. Mr Blair secured Tory support for the war either erroneously or misleadingly. The weapons of mass destruction had either themselves been destroyed or had never existed. Otherwise the United States, with all its resources, would have found them.

[. . . .] Iraq threatened no British national interest. It was but one among many horrible regimes. They cover the globe. We go to war against few of the others. Only the Left ever suggests that we should. Tories know that that would result in perpetual war. Their ancestral wisdom tells them that we should go to war only when a horrible regime threatens Britain — as Saddam’s, with his lack of weapons of mass destruction, did not. He was a threat to Iraq, not to Britain. We should weep for the Iraqis.