Sir, – It was not surprising that Alex Bell (July 7)made no attempt to be objective in his assessment of the British Cabinet in the run up to war in Iraq in 2003.
The Chilcot inquiry report has criticised former Prime Minister Tony Blair strongly. There is still a need, in his defence, to recall something of the atmosphere of those times.
The attacks on the Twin Towers in September 2001 had alerted the governments in both the United States and Britain to a global threat.
The two countries had been allies in some of the most testing times of the 20th Century.
It is understandable that they should now be seen to be acting in concert in the face of terrorist activity.
Mr Blair’s mistake was perhaps to take that loyalty too far.
In the final analysis, though, the Westminster Parliament, after months and months of argument and anguish, could have denied him the authority to go to war.
He had, in fact, instructed officials to make preparations for his departure if he lost the vote.
The House of Commons backed his decision to support the United States forces and intervene.
Maybe there should have been more foresight about the consequences of going in.
Maybe there should have been more thought about how well the forces were equipped for the aftermath of Saddam Hussein’s downfall.
Maybe the Cabinet discussions should have been more thorough and open. In the final analysis, these were all questions of judgment.
Nobody can predict the events that might lead this country into war in the future.
It might still be helpful if there was more understanding not just about the pressures Mr Blair faced but perhaps even more important, the pressures any future Prime Minister might face before recommending that this country takes military action against a potential aggressor.
Bob Taylor.
24 Shiel Court,
Glenrothes.
Chilcot gave us final proof
Sir, – The Chilcot report provided proof that those responsible for the war in Iraq have the blood of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, on their hands.
The invasion that began on March 20 2003 took place before “peaceful options for disarmament” had been exhausted, Chilcot notes. Damningly, he states: “Military action at that time was not a last resort.”
Saddam Hussein did not present an “imminent” threat at the time, and claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction were “not justified”.
The invasion was launched on the basis of “flawed” intelligence assessments that were not challenged when they should have been, Chilcot states.
Tony Blair was supported in his Iraq endeavour by a compliant media which saw war as entertainment.
There was nothing Mr Blair could say that the UK media wouldn’t fawn and swoon over like some teenage groupie.
Alan Hinnrichs.
2 Gillespie Terrace,
Dundee.
Bring Sir John to Scotland
Sir, – Sir John Chilcot’s report on the Iraq War has been warmly welcomed by bereaved families and others for its hard-hitting and unequivocal findings.
Many were expecting yet another obfuscating whitewash and this report was anything but that and has restored a measure of faith in the public as regards independent scrutiny of those in public life.
At Holyrood, we have SNP-dominated committees which are supposed to scrutinise the actions of the government.
But the rule that no SNP member shall criticise the actions of the SNP or its members precludes transparent minuting of meetings and reports which may cause discomfort or embarrassment for the government.
In the light of the resignations of two of the three members of the child abuse inquiry following allegations of interference by the Scottish Government, might I suggest that Sir John Chilcot be invited to chair a reconstituted panel of inquiry?
That would give the victims some measure of comfort.
Donald Lewis.
Pine Cottage,
Beech Hill,
Gifford.
Don’t talk down our country
Sir, – Yet again I read from your correspondents how terrible it is to live in Scotland, how bad our economy and NHS are and that it is all the fault of the SNP.
These writers need to get out more. This is a great place to live and work and they should consider themselves lucky to live here.
There are some facts you cannot ignore. Nearly 50% of Scots voted SNP at the last two elections. Nearly 50% believe in independence, so it is time to start talking up our country.
People clearly trust the SNP to govern Scotland.
The Scottish economy is better than most but not as good as some.
The SNP does not get it right all the time but it is not in crisis like the government at Westminster.
I consider it an absolute honour to live in Scotland and I will never sit and whinge, whine and complain about all the supposed negatives.
It saddens me to see the same usual suspects continually whine about what they consider failings.
Try to be a little positive about your country, as there is so much good in it.
Bryan Auchterlonie.
Bluebell Cottage,
Ardargie.
An insult to service families
Sir, – I have been following the coverage about the Battle of the Somme where 20,000 troops were killed on the first day.
They laid down their lives for Great Britain as did those who fought in the Second World War, Korea and ensuing conflicts.
I wonder what the relatives of all these British troops think when they hear Nicola Sturgeon, Alex Salmond and Angus Robertson go on about breaking up Britain every time they open their mouths?
Jim Smith.
11 Glenesk Avenue,
Montrose.
Standing up against bullies
Sir, – I would like to commend the efforts of the recent Stand Up to Bullying campaign, which had its official national day on July 6. Backed by The Duke of Cambridge and many celebrities, it is fantastic to see this issue being brought to the forefront of people’s minds.
To hear that 16,000 young people in the UK are absent every year due to bullying is extremely worrying.
In The Boys’ Brigade we want to offer a neutral space where young people can learn, have fun and educate themselves on the dangers of bullying and where to seek help and advice.
We have a zero-tolerance stance on bullying, including through social media, which is why we have our own guidance which is shared to all companies to try to eradicate the problem.
I hope more organisations, especially in the youth sector, can shine a light on this issue and help young people struggling to find help.
We want children to be children, have fun, learn new skills, and not have to worry about something as destructive as bullying. We look forward to pushing this message throughout 2016 and beyond, to help take a stand against bullying.
Bill Stevenson.
Acting Chief Executive,
The Boys’ Brigade,
Carronvale House,
Larbert.
An absence of legitimacy
Sir, – Immigration law is reserved to Westminster and not devolved to Holyrood.
Nicola Sturgeon’s open letter offering reassurance to EU citizens is, therefore, misleading. She has no remit to imply that, post Brexit, EU citizens have or do not have residency rights in Scotland. Legally, they are resident in the UK, the EU member state, not Scotland.
This remit lies with Westminster where even Boris Johnson once spoke in favour of all three million EU citizens across the UK remaining. It is important we are mindful of the future status of British citizens in other EU countries.
The truth about Nicola Sturgeon’s stance is that, for her, EU citizens from other countries resident in Scotland are a convenient pawn in her relentless game of them and us with Westminster.
As she reaches out to EU immigrants in Scotland, there will be no doubt she is aware, with the possibility of another independence referendum, that opinion polls told us European immigrants voted heavily in favour of the UK.
Martin Redfern.
4 Royal Circus,
Edinburgh.