Blair admits Iraq invasion helped IS rise
Print Edition
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair acknowledged the 2003 invasion of Iraq played a part in the rise of the Islamic State militant group, and apologized for some mistakes in planning the war, in an interview broadcast yesterday.
Blair’s decision to send troops to back the US-led invasion is still a live political issue in Britain, where a six-year public inquiry into the conflict is yet to publish its findings.
Asked whether the offensive was the principal cause of the rise of IS, which now controls large areas of Iraq and neighbouring Syria, Blair said there were “elements of truth” in that.
“Of course, you can’t say that those of us who removed (former Iraqi dictator) Saddam (Hussein) in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015,” Blair told CNN.
Critics say the US decision to disband Saddam Hussein’s army after the invasion created a huge security vacuum exploited by al Qaeda, which was eventually replaced by IS.
Some former Iraqi army officers, members of the Sunni Muslim minority which says it has been marginalized by the Shi’ite-led government backed by Western powers, are senior strategists in IS. The Iraqi government says it has not marginalised Sunnis.
Blair said the “Arab Spring” uprisings across the region also affected Iraq, and pointed out that IS had risen out of a base in Syria, not Iraq.
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