I know that in the national press, both here and in the States, the Iraq war is never far from the headlines. Whether it's the search for those still-illusive weapons of mass destruction, or a suicide bombing claiming the lives of innocent Iraqi's in Baghdad, the war still goes on. But before you turn the page, closing your eyes to the carnage on a sandy street thousands of miles away, spare a thought for all those people, not just the innocent Iraqi citizens, but the families of British servicemen, who have lost loved ones, and how they'll be spending their Christmases.
What with hindsight, we can say now that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was a mistake from day one. Yes, Saddam Hussein did need to be stopped; wiping out thousands, hundreds of thousands, of your own citizens is something that no man should ever have the power to do, but it happened in Rwanda, and where were we then? Where was the coalition of American and British forces marching into Africa to end the pointless killings? Or are human lives valued against the price of a barrel of oil?
George W. Bush, because let's face it, he doesn't deserve any title before his name, was spoken to by "God", who told him to invade Iraq. Firstly, for someone to be in communication with the Almighty should either be something that the world should celebrate, or on the chance they haven't lost their minds, question whether someone so deluded should be in a position of such authority. Secondly, maybe questions should have been asked immediately, and far more publicly, as to any ulterior motives for the invasion. You know the kind I mean, the Bush family connections to the oil barons.
Sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory, doesn't it?
Looking at it from the British side, and I dare say the more reasoned side of the war, seemingly unaffected by the Bible, even if Tony Blair did believe in what he was doing when our forces invaded, why didn't he pull them out when they realized that there were no mythical WMDs? Not that politicians are ever wrong, that just wouldn't be acceptable, but common sense would suggest that we were there to assist the Americans in their war. Why did our troops have to remain? To clear up the mess, most of which had been made by American B52 bombers and fighter jets?
It's OK to use hindsight and see the mistakes made, but complaining about them won't change anything. The hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's killed, whether they were innocent, or fighting the invading forces, who invaded illegally, won't come back to life. Nor will the soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives, on both sides.
The vast majority of British service personnel fight for a cause they believe in, and once a battle has been, work incredibly hard to make the lives of those affected better again. We've all seen the photographs of soldiers on foot in berets and light armour, talking to shop keepers, with kids around them, all with smiles on their faces. Admittedly, this could have been propaganda, but somehow I doubt it. At least, I'm sure a lot of soldiers were doing as the photographs.
Then you look at the photographs of macho American soldiers in their Humvees, a man on the .50 Caliber machine gun, in their helmets, thick Kevlar vests, M4's ready. It's the American way though, and in fairness to them, if you're American, the Middle East isn't somewhere you'd want to be in the current climate, and surviving is the most important thing.
I said vast majority slight earlier whilst referring to British servicemen and women, and that carries over to the American. Obviously, somewhere within the ranks there are going to be those whose sole purpose is to let out their psychopathic tendencies. To shoot people, to blow things up. We all saw the video footage earlier in the year of the US fighter pilots who shot up a British convoy, or the shambles at the prisoner detention facilities a couple of years ago.
Spare a thought as you tuck into your roast dinners on Christmas Day for the loved ones of servicemen who never came back, even for just a moment. A single moment of respect for those who died on foreign shores, yet again, for their country, for a cause they may not have believed in, but serving their country to the last.
Our politicians obviously don't. Poorly equipped, they went into battle. You could almost compare them to the Russian soldiers of the Second World War, who took the weapons of men who fell. And even when they fell, what did their families get? Some got cover ups, the reasons for loved-ones deaths brushed under the rug. Others get a disgraceful amount of money to help raise children. The politicians send them into battle, and then shaft them afterwards. It's despicable. It almost makes you ashamed to be British.
Wilfred Owen got it right ninety years ago; “The old lie. Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori.”
