MSPs Back a motion to impeach Blair on war crimes.

[justicar5]

Exactly as the title says really, a motion has been tabled in the Scottish Parliament (sponsored by MSP Margo MacDonald (independent)) and is gaining support among the SNP members at least.

Jim Sillars, former SNP deputy leader Said:

"We have to ask if it can ever be right that a leader who, through conspiracy with another power and who paved the way to aggressive war through lies, distortions and manipulation of a parliament and people, should go unpunished while the victims of that war are either lying destroyed in their many thousands, or are living with the terrible consequences of it?"

, Mr Salmond said: "I fully understand the sentiment because I think that Tony Blair misled this country into an illegal war, and the consequences of that we are going to feel for generations to come. I led an attempt to impeach the prime minister on this very subject. In terms of the interpretation of Scots law, that's a matter for law officers."

SOURCE: http://news.uk.msn.com/politics/msps...ove-on-blair-2

What tangible chances does this, even if passed have of a) being legal and b) achieving anything?

(on a) I foresee Westminster over ruling them in a nano-second, as to b), well at least some one will have got the case on record)

[Gatsby]

It's just publicity, the Scottish Parliament trying to distance itself from Westminster.

I highly doubt we'll see Blair on the stand.

[justicar5]

It's just publicity, the Scottish Parliament trying to distance itself from Westminster.

I highly doubt we'll see Blair on the stand.

sadly I have to agree ( well to a point, it isn't going to get anywhere near a court, and part of it is a distancing exercise, but, it doesn't stop them being right to try.)

[s.rwitt]

Keep dreaming, justicar.

[justicar5]

Keep dreaming, justicar.

He was responsible for thousands of deaths, and lied to parliament and the nation to achieve his own goals, that is criminal, unfortunately the people he killed where Arabs from an oil rich nation, so no chance of him being tried.

[s.rwitt]

You'd have to prove that he knew Saddam didn't have the amount and type of WMD that pretty much every intelligence agency involved thought he had. So far no one's been able to.

[justicar5]

You'd have to prove that he knew Saddam didn't have the amount and type of WMD that pretty much every intelligence agency involved thought he had. So far no one's been able to.

Actually not so much. It's the 'sexed up' dossier incident that should at least get him charged with lying to parliament,

Major General Michael Laurie, one of those involved in producing the dossier wrote to the Chilcot inquiry in 2011 saying "the purpose of the dossier was precisely to make a case for war, rather than setting out the available intelligence, and that to make the best out of sparse and inconclusive intelligence the wording was developed with care."[3] On 26 June 2011, The Guardian reported on a memo from John Scarlett to Blair's foreign affairs adviser, released under the Freedom of Information Act, which referred to "the benefit of obscuring the fact that in terms of WMD Iraq is not that exceptional". The memo has been described as one of the most significant documents on the September dossier yet published as it is considered a proposal to mislead the public.[

[removeduser_487563287433]

Actually not so much. It's the 'sexed up' dossier incident that should at least get him charged with lying to parliament,

No it couldn't, it would be a violation of Parliamentary Privilege. Lying to Parliament is handled by the Speaker, not the judiciary.

Might want to stop making stuff up at this point.

[justicar5]

No it couldn't, it would be a violation of Parliamentary Privilege. Lying to Parliament is handled by the Speaker, not the judiciary.

Might want to stop making stuff up at this point.

So for getting hundreds of our troops killed to feed his ego..he gets made middle east peace envoy? . Hang draw and quarter the traitorous SOB. Leave out burning his family, they don't deserve to be part of the full punishment for treason (aka making him watch them burn)

[removeduser_487563287433]

So for getting hundreds of our troops killed to feed his ego..he gets made middle east peace envoy? . Hang draw and quarter the traitorous SOB. Leave out burning his family, they don't deserve to be part of the full punishment for treason (aka making him watch them burn)

Oh cry more. Don't get pissy just because I pointed out you're talking fantasy about this prosecution.

[removeduser_487563287433]

It has zero chance of doing anything. The Scottish Parliament has no foreign policy powers and no right to prosecute anybody. Furthermore, it's just a motion by a fundamentalist nationalist maniac, who has been kicked out of the SNP for being too mental.

[s.rwitt]

Except the criticism of the dossier is that it was constructed in a way "to build a case for war, rather than to set out the available intelligence". Meaning it was a report with an agenda, instead of an objective one. That's not a war crime.

[justicar5]

Except the criticism of the dossier is that it was constructed in a way "to build a case for war, rather than to set out the available intelligence". Meaning it was a report with an agenda, instead of an objective one. That's not a war crime.

No, which is why I specifically stated 'lying to parliament' rather than 'crimes against peace/war crimes'

[s.rwitt]

Strange you'd bring that up in a discussion on the possibility of Blair being charged with war crimes.

Regardless, Blair didn't sit down and write that report. There were thousands and thousands of people involved in this thing. Spies, analysts, politicians, etc.

[justicar5]

Strange you'd bring that up in a discussion on the possibility of Blair being charged with war crimes.

Regardless, Blair didn't sit down and write that report. There were thousands and thousands of people involved in this thing. Spies, analysts, politicians, etc.

I bought it up as the only realistic charge that could be made. Yes there where thousands involved, but as his order the dossier was 'sexed up' made to overstate it's case. (Lying to, or 'misleading' parliament is a wrsit slapping offence btw, but at least something would have been officially acknowledged

[s.rwitt]

proof!

[justicar5]

proof!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War

There is your proof! Hundreds of our troops dead to serve the interests of a blood thirsty maniac in the white house and his corporate buddies. The Cabinet that sent them in betrayed this nation and should swing for it. Not that it would ever happen. Mass murder of foreigners never gets prosecuted.

[s.rwitt]

Which of his interests did it serve?

[s.rwitt]

Oh , here comes the strawman army.

[justicar5]

Oh , here comes the strawman army.

No honest question. How many innocents dead before our politicians become criminals for ordering it ?