Using Iraq Watch

During the rest of the British General Election campaign, the Liberal Democrats and the Tories have vowed to raise the issue of Iraq. Now, the debate about whether Britain went to war on a sound basis is entirely legitimate. Some supporters of Labour Friends of Iraq backed the war, some did not. But what is not legitimate is telling lies about the state of Iraq today, a country emerging from thirty years of war and dictatorship, just to win votes.

So we have launched 'Using Iraq Watch'. When the Lib-Dems and the Tories opportunistically use rhetorical rubbish about the state of Iraq just to win votes in the British general election - running the state of Iraq down in some grotesquely overstated fashion just in order to run up the state of their own electoral chances - we will try to point it out. Here are the first three cases (we will award a special prize at close of polls on election night to the best example). We urge readers to send examples to info@labourfriendsofiraq.org.uk

Using Iraq (1) Liberal Democrat Deputy leader Menzies Campbell

“Despite the election of an interim government in Iraq, the tyranny of Saddam Hussein has been replaced by the tyranny of the suicide bomber”. (Observer, Sunday April 24) (hat tip, HP)

Using Iraq (2) The Mail on Sunday

“It is clear from everything that has happened since this unwise adventure that life for most Iraqis is actually worse as a result not better as Blair claimed it would be and still pretends it is (…) If this issue catches fire then it is the one that has the power to destroy Labour’s majority” (Mail on Sunday Editorial, April 24)

Using Iraq (3) Peter Hitchens, Mail on Sunday Columnist

“Far from doing good, our righteous interference has brought destruction and poverty, shrouded previously free women in veils and worsened religious divisions (…) The truth is that a new Saddam regime is already being created. There has been a lot of fuss about more-or-less fraudulent and meaningless ‘elections’” (Mail on Sunday, April 24)