Despite the fact that Tony Blair considers himself a student of Bill Clinton, I find him credible — something I could never say of his slick mentor. PM: More than the fate of the Iraqi regime at stake gives the text of his recent speech on Iraq, and I enjoyed (if that’s the right word) this passage:
From December 1998 to December 2002, no UN inspector was allowed to inspect anything in Iraq. For four years, not a thing. What changed his mind? The threat of force. From December to January and then from January through to February, concessions were made. What changed his mind?The threat of force.
And what makes him now issue invitations to the inspectors, discover documents he said he never had, produce evidence of weapons supposed to be non-existent, destroy missiles he said he would keep? The imminence of force.
The only persuasive power to which he responds is 250,000 allied troops on his doorstep.
And yet when that fact is so obvious that it is staring us in the face, we are told that any Resolution that authorises force will be vetoed.Not just opposed. Vetoed. Blocked.