Tony Blair attacks his own general for stating the obvious about Iraq
Nice! You know things are going well when they squabble.
Quote:
Tony Blair will hit back today at General Sir Richard Dannatt, who warned last week that the continued presence of British troops in Iraq was "exacerbating" the country's security crisis.
Mr Blair will use his monthly press conference at Downing Street to tackle head-on the most damaging charge by the Chief of the General Staff that the objective of establishing a liberal democracy in Iraq might have to be downgraded.
Downing Street mounted a damage-limitation exercise after the head of Britain's armed forces openly criticised the continued presence of British troops in Iraq. Mr Blair played down the challenge to his authority, saying he agreed with the main thrust of the general's remarks.
However, Mr Blair's allies made clear that he could not allow the challenge to go unanswered. David Blunkett, the former home secretary, is believed to have been reflecting views inside Downing Street when he criticised Sir Richard for "trying to introduce a new constitutional element" by interfering with the Government's decisions.
Hell I have a lot of respect for this General. Unlike those american generals who waited until the safety of their retirement to start criticizing rummy and the war effort, this General is on active duty and is the head honcho to boot. He isn't afraid to speak out. Southern Iraq used to be relatively safe, now it's become another worsening battle zone.
Tony Blair attacks his own general for stating the obvious about Iraq
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