"In committing the UK to join the attack on Iraq, Blair went well beyond the usual boundaries of the ‘special relationship,’" Ben Griffin, coordinator of the VFP UK organization of ex-soldiers who have taken part in every British war since World War Two, said. He added that "the security apparatus of the UK state has become increasingly entwined with the security apparatus of the USA."
In correspondence dated April 2002, published by the Daily Mail, Powell told the president that Blair stood by Bush on Iraq and would continue to do so when the US moved forward on its war on terrorism.
The correspondence is in sharp contrast with Blair’s public stance on the invasion in Iraq, as he claimed at that time the United Kingdom was not proposing any military action.
"This document adds credibility to the accusation that Tony Blair was firmly committed to attack Iraq from the outset and was prepared to sell the idea to the British public… This document suggests that Blair has continuously lied to the British people," Griffin said.
The United Kingdom was part of a US-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003, without a UN mandate, after falsely accusing Hussein of possessing weapons of mass destruction.
