blair's evidence

I don't have an awful lot to say about the substance of his evidence because, inevitably, there was very little "new news". Very broadly: I do think he took the country to war honestly and properly and with due process. I'm not sure that the war was wise, and the lack of good planning was a disgrace. But I do think it was a very close decision and those who pretend it was simple aren't thinking hard enough about it.

On the theatre of it: gosh, but the man has stamina. At the end of six hours of tough questioning he seemed as energetic, focused and lit up by his own sense of conviction as he did at the beginning. The intensity with which he devoured every question was extraordinary. There were no questions that he had real difficulty with. He was alert, passionate and eloquent throughout.

He clearly has blindspots; there did seem to be groupthink going on, and I'm not sure he worked hard enough at getting opposing points of view into the room (in the way Obama did during the recent decision-making process on Afghanistan). But I think he dealt with the main anti-war charges - that he lied, that he said one thing to Bush in private and another in public, that he was cavalier with process - very convincingly.

Now, this wasn't meant to be a political performance, but I do think he missed an opportunity to signal humility and sadness about the loss of life in his closing words. That he didn't is admirable in some ways - a total refusal to pander. He must be thinking, why I should I have to plead for my humanity to the baying wolves of the British media? But by not even making the standard expression of regret for the loss of life he opened himself to accusations of callousness, and hardened further the already deep rift between him and opinion-formers in this country. Perhaps he doesn't care about his reputation here any more, doesn't give a stuff about rehabilitating or re-branding himself as even Alastair Campbell has done fairly successfully in recent years. But I can't believe that's true. This is still his home.

Comments

[peter]

I agree with you, Ian, particularly your statements in the first para. Obama said during the election campaign that we should not be criminalizing policy differences, and that is what most of the UK media seem to be trying to do regarding the decision to invade Iraq.

[peter]

And another thing . . . The Guardian today (Saturday) managed to find 7 diverse people (a writer, a mother, an MP, a lawyer, etc) to comment on TB's testimony yesterday, and strangely all 7 were critical. I am reminded of Robin Williams' statement upon learning that Lou Gehrig had once had Lou Gehrig's Disease -- Gee, what are the chances of that happening?!

[Marbury]

Yep... that sort of thing doesn't even surprise me anymore. But it's infuriating. So cowardly to pander to readers like that.