13 octobre 2006
Head of British Army joins Stop the War Coalition !
Communiqué de RESPECT, 12/10/2006
Britains top soldier, General Sir Richard Dannatt, has become the latest recruit to the stop the war movement, arguing that we should bring the troops home from Iraq as soon as possible.
In a direct repudiation of Blair's insistence that the occupation is helping Iraqis form a democracy the General said: "The original intention was that we put in place a liberal democracy that was an exemplar for the region, was pro West and might have a beneficial effect on the balance within the Middle East. That was the hope, whether that was a sensible or naïve hope history will judge. I don't think we are going to do that. I think we should aim for a lower ambition."
He was equally forthright in rebutting Blair's arguments that the war on terror has no impact on our safety in Britain, and the lie that Iraqis would see foreign troops as liberators, saying: " We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear. As a foreigner, you can be welcomed by being invited in a country, but we weren't invited certainly by those in Iraq at the time."
"The military campaign we fought in 2003 effectively kicked the door in. Whatever consent we may have had in the first place, may have turned to tolerance and has largely turned to intolerance.That is a fact. I don't say that the difficulties we are experiencing round the world are caused by our presence in Iraq but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them."
Commenting on the General's statements, George Galloway MP said:
"Mutiny in the ranks is one thing, but this is a declaration of mutiny by the very shiniest of the top brass. Britain's top soldier says that this war is at best naive and at worst a disaster, and that it is certainly untenable - in which case why should British soldiers risk leaving their bones in Iraq? If they listen to their Commanding Officer, they must surely conclude that now is the time to collectively demand that they return home."
Respect National Secretary John Rees, a founder of the Stop the War Coalition added:
"The head of the British Army is saying what we have been saying for years, that the invasion was a mistake, that we're making the situation worse, and that we should get out."
Le chef d'état-major de l'armée britannique demande le retrait de ses troupes d'Irak
LE MONDE, 13/10/2006
Le vent de lassitude qui s'est emparé de la Grande-Bretagne à propos de l'intervention en Irak gagne désormais le sommet de sa hiérarchie militaire. Dans un entretien paru dans l'édition du vendredi 13 octobre du Daily Mail, le chef d'état-major de l'armée britannique, le général Dannatt, estime que la présence des forces britanniques en Irak n'est pas seulement inutile, mais pire encore, qu'elle aggrave les problèmes de sécurité dans ce pays. Il préconise en conséquence leur retrait rapide. ...
Britains top soldier, General Sir Richard Dannatt, has become the latest recruit to the stop the war movement, arguing that we should bring the troops home from Iraq as soon as possible.
In a direct repudiation of Blair's insistence that the occupation is helping Iraqis form a democracy the General said: "The original intention was that we put in place a liberal democracy that was an exemplar for the region, was pro West and might have a beneficial effect on the balance within the Middle East. That was the hope, whether that was a sensible or naïve hope history will judge. I don't think we are going to do that. I think we should aim for a lower ambition."
He was equally forthright in rebutting Blair's arguments that the war on terror has no impact on our safety in Britain, and the lie that Iraqis would see foreign troops as liberators, saying: " We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear. As a foreigner, you can be welcomed by being invited in a country, but we weren't invited certainly by those in Iraq at the time."
"The military campaign we fought in 2003 effectively kicked the door in. Whatever consent we may have had in the first place, may have turned to tolerance and has largely turned to intolerance.That is a fact. I don't say that the difficulties we are experiencing round the world are caused by our presence in Iraq but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them."
Commenting on the General's statements, George Galloway MP said:
"Mutiny in the ranks is one thing, but this is a declaration of mutiny by the very shiniest of the top brass. Britain's top soldier says that this war is at best naive and at worst a disaster, and that it is certainly untenable - in which case why should British soldiers risk leaving their bones in Iraq? If they listen to their Commanding Officer, they must surely conclude that now is the time to collectively demand that they return home."
Respect National Secretary John Rees, a founder of the Stop the War Coalition added:
"The head of the British Army is saying what we have been saying for years, that the invasion was a mistake, that we're making the situation worse, and that we should get out."
Le chef d'état-major de l'armée britannique demande le retrait de ses troupes d'Irak
LE MONDE, 13/10/2006
Le vent de lassitude qui s'est emparé de la Grande-Bretagne à propos de l'intervention en Irak gagne désormais le sommet de sa hiérarchie militaire. Dans un entretien paru dans l'édition du vendredi 13 octobre du Daily Mail, le chef d'état-major de l'armée britannique, le général Dannatt, estime que la présence des forces britanniques en Irak n'est pas seulement inutile, mais pire encore, qu'elle aggrave les problèmes de sécurité dans ce pays. Il préconise en conséquence leur retrait rapide. ...
