Brit Iraq War Inquiry: "I'll personally return my medal to Tony Blair"

If the Chilcot Inquiry finds that the Iraq War was illegal, I'll personally return my medal to Tony Blair

I cannot describe the anger I feel at the idea that comrades of mine would have died for a war which may have been illegitimate and illegal

25 August 2015 - I received my job offer from the British Army on February 27th 2003, aged 16. Twenty days later, the war in Iraq began and the job I'd signed up for became a lot different to what I’d envisioned. By the end of March, 27 members of our military had been killed.

Four years later, my turn came around and I was deployed to Iraq with ‘A’ Squadron, the Household Cavalry Regiment, in a Formation Recognisance role - a driver of a small-sized armoured vehicle, in layman’s terms - and the seven months I spent in the region dragged by in the blistering summer of the desert. It was eight years ago but I vividly remember the heat. I remember the constant stress of incoming rocket attacks from insurgents in Basra, stomach-churning explosions that always seemed to creep nearer and nearer to the place I was taking cover. Like all my mates who were under deployment for the first time, I certainly came home from Iraq a grown-up - and the first thing they give you in recognition of that is a medal. read more>>>

Chilcot inquiry: blame will be spread beyond Blair's inner team, sources say

While former PM will bear brunt of criticism over Iraq war, report is expected to target wider number of people than had been thought

26 August 2015 - Sir John Chilcot is to apportion blame for Britain’s role in the Iraq war much more widely than had been expected, going well beyond Tony Blair and his inner team, according to sources involved with his six-year inquiry.

While Blair will bear the brunt of the report’s criticism, one source said it would suit the former prime minister to see a wide range of targets blamed when it is published.

It has been assumed that Chilcot would concentrate on Blair and his closest advisers in Downing Street. However, the Guardian understands the inquiry intends to criticise a much bigger circle of ministers and officials, including Jack Straw, foreign secretary at the time of the Iraq invasion in 2003. read more>>>

This, just below, has much more to do with obstruction by the bushco players and conservatives in congress, especially now controlling both houses but also previously controlling one while having the numbers in the other, then to anything from the State Department:

Chilcot what? State Department clueless on Iraq War inquiry

24 Aug, 2015 - Washington’s refusal to declassify documents that could inform the UK probe into the 2003 invasion of Iraq is a major scandal in London. Yet the State Department spokesman says he has never heard of the Chilcot Inquiry.

Convened in 2009, the British probe into the Iraq War was named after its chairman, Sir John Chilcot. The five-member panel wrapped up its hearings in 2011, and one of the members died earlier this year, but the report has yet to see the light of day. Repeated delays in its publication have caused widespread frustration in the UK, from the Tory government of David Cameron to Labour officials critical of the war.

Among the reasons blamed for the delay has been the US refusal to allow the publication of certain documents deemed vital to “national security.” When the Daily Mail requested filed a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request to obtain the documents, US officials tracked down 97 documents pertaining to the 2002 meetings between President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, at the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas. They refused to release 82 of them, citing national security and privacy concerns. read more>>>

"It's a shame Brian Williams will be the only person ever punished for lying about Iraq"

And now Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after the Whole Country Abandoned the Missions and those sent to Accomplish, and still haven't paid for either nor the long term results from and that includes the VA their responsibility, so extremely quickly after 9/11!!

Australians Understand What American Led Iraq War Policies Created

* * * CIA Torture: Read the Senate Intelligence Committee report * * *

In a Democracy: 'Citizens must know what is done in their name'

Pres. Bush: “Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated”

Blackwater Security Guards Handed Lengthy Sentences For Iraqi Killings

Human rights groups call for special prosecutor to investigate CIA torture

22 December 2014 - The ACLU and Human Rights Watch say the offences amount to ‘a vast criminal conspiracy’ and are ‘shocking and corrosive’ to US democracy and credibility read more>>>

* * * Seeds of ISIL Planted By Bush/Cheney and Conservative Congresses * * *

Aug 8, 2015 - IS Top Command Dominated by Ex-Officers in Saddam's Army

* * * The British Iraq War Inquiry * * * Released will carry private communications between GWBush and TBlair, like this already released: TB said there was a danger the Tories would see this as their chance to get rid of him … Bush said they would make it clear to the Tories that if they moved to get rid of TB "we will get rid of them".

* * * Iraq War Promoted Terrorism Rather Than Reducing It * * * 24 April 2014 - Britain’s involvement in the Iraq War promoted terrorism rather than reducing it and was a “strategic failure”, according to a major new report which estimated the cost of all UK conflicts since the end of the Cold War.
The Royal United Services Institute said the UK could face a bill of nearly £65bn, once the cost of long-term care for injured veterans was factored in, with most of the money was spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The study, called Wars in Peace, said both conflicts were largely “strategic failures” for the UK, The Guardian reported."

Facts: Matthew Hoh {former Marine and foreign service officer in Afghanistan}: "We spend a trillion dollars a year on national security in this country."
"And when you add up to the Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, Veterans Affairs, interest on debt, the number that strikes me the most about how much we're committed financially to these wars and to our current policies is we have spent $250 billion already just on interest payments on the debt we've incurred for the Iraq and Afghan wars." 26 September 2014

Bob Herbert "Losing Our Way" : "And then the staggering costs of these wars, which are borne by the taxpayers. I mean, one of the things that was insane was that, as we're at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration cut taxes. This has never been done in American history. The idea of cutting taxes while you're going to war is just crazy. I mean, it's madness." Bill 'Moyers and Company': Restoring an America That Has Lost its Way 10 Oct. 2014

$14 Million An Hour: War Costs Top $1.6 Trillion Since 9/11, Say Congressional Researchers

December 22 2014 - American taxpayers have shelled out roughly $1.6 trillion on war spending since 9/11, according to a new report from Congress’ nonpartisan research arm. That’s roughly $337 million a day -- or nearly a quarter million dollars a minute -- every single day for 13 years. read more>>>

“With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11"

Chris Hayes MSNBC: "If you can run a deficit to go to war, you can run a deficit to take care of the people who fought it" In response to Republican opposition to expanding Veterans' benefits on fiscal grounds

Neither of these recent wars have yet been paid for, let alone the results from, including the long ignored or outright denied existence of, till this Administrations Cabinet and Gen Shinseki, only Government branch consistent for the past six years, issues! As well as under deficits most of the, grossly under funded, VA budget is still borrowed thus added, problem creating, costs that shouldn't exist!