Blix on Iraq: Wisdom in Hindsight

Former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, Hans Blix, must be credited for his professionalism and uprightness. He is the man who refused to walk into the neo-cons trap, and stood his ground by saying that weapons of mass destruction were nowhere to be found.

Published: Mon 7 Dec 2009, 9:30 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 12:30 AM

By refusing to justify a war in the heart of the Middle East on flimsy grounds, he had made himself loud and clear. His latest revelation, in an interview with the Daily Mail, that Tony Blair tried to force him to change his mind about the absence of WMDs in Iraq to placate the Americans is shocking. Blix’s testimony should be more than enough to make Bush and Blair stand trial, and pay for their crimes against humanity. As an immediate recourse, Blix should be called to give evidence at the Chilcot Inquiry being conducted by Britain, and see to it that justice is done at the earliest.

How startling it is to believe that two obsessive persons, at the helm of affairs in civilised democracies, misled themselves and the public, and took their countries to war. But that was true, and is history now. All that needs to be done now is to make them accountable for their misadventure, which has plunged the world into a worsening economic crisis and perpetual instability. The witch-finders, as Blix likes to call them, concocted a political case against the then Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and took the world for a ride by invading and destroying one of the progressive Arab countries. This is simply a case of bad faith, and leadership at its worst. The least that could be done to repent and make amends for the crimes is to put them in the dock.

The Swedish diplomat has spoken up, not once but again and again. The blatant breach of international law, as pointed out by Blix, stares us in the face. The shaky intelligence, coupled with a lie, has cost the world quite dearly. Sir John Chilcot, conducting an inquiry into Iraq war for the House of Commons, should join Blix and lead from the front. One wonders whether President Barack Obama would also like to stand tall, and order an inquiry against the neo-conservatives. It is they who have hampered his smooth sailing on an agenda of change that he promised to the Americans and the world at large. Bush, Blair and their cabal of advisers should be brought to book. Blix has made a point; it’s time for the world to follow up.